


The Dark Days Of San Paro

by Sprinkle



Category: APB:Reloaded
Genre: APB:Reloaded AU, Crime, Mostly an original story, OC, OC cops, OC crims, Romance, Small aspects of the game itself, Usage of guns/drinking/drugs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2018-05-07 06:57:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 81,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5447357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sprinkle/pseuds/Sprinkle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The Dark Days Of San Paro"- A title printed on newspaper headlines, spoken on local news channels, and named by the citizens who have suffered the consequences. These so called "dark days" represent the days, weeks, months and even years of constant war. A war between the ones who enforce the law, and those who break it.<br/>Nobody knows when those days will finally be over, will one side triumph over the other? will the city ever return to normal? These questions may never be answered.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Big city life isn't for anyone

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU where the Prentiss Tigers and the Praetorians are merged into one, but the Blood Roses and the G-kings are separated completely yet they are currently neutral to one another.  
> Blood Roses= Believe in financial gain and city domination.  
> G-kings=Believe in road domination, vehicle control and illegal street racing.  
> [This fanfic has some references and words used in the game, yet it has a different approach to the story]
> 
> [For any fixes need to be made/mistyping please let me know!]

In San Paro, a city full of luxury, tourism and beauty lies a secret that many tourists and newcomers never get to see. Crimes in this innocent looking city happen mostly in the outskirts, in the places where most people would think twice before going. The once known criminal district shrunk in size from its glory years, yet the criminals themselves are here to stay, and boy are there a lot of em' in this big city. There are two major gangs who rule most of the crime business, the _**Bloodroses**_ and the ** _G-kings_** , sure they are not the only gangs that exist- but unlike the smaller ones, these gangs make a huge mark on the city. While these two gangs control a lot of hideouts, clubs, and money, they are almost always battling against their enemies- ** _the enforcers_**.

Obviously in this city some kind of law enforcement _is_ needed to protect both the civilians and the economy, and that's where the San Paro Police Department comes in place. Because of the constant need of combat the majority of employees in the SPPD are in fact field workers- in other words, they do every task that requires kicking some criminal ass, taking them down in a more physical way. You could say that San Paro is more of a battlefield, a hidden one that the public decides to ignore and tries to move on with their own lives.

**11:00 PM-Downtown shopping center**

This exact hour is the time when most criminals go "hunting" for some "food", it's the time when most shops are closed and the streets are quiet with little to no eye witnesses. But this kind of thing only happens in the downtown area, the center of San Paro is active 24/7 with the big city lights shining from the distance.

One jewelry store is about to close, the shopkeeper preparing to shut off the store's lights and lock the entrance door. Well, not before a special guest comes along. Before shutting the lights he sees someone at the door, surprised from the late costumer he walked to him with a raised brow.

 

-"Excuse me sir, this is closing time, I'm afraid you must leave. You can come back tomorrow though, I'm open almost the entire week."-The shopkeeper said to the man, in comparison the shopkeeper looked like a small puppy standing next to a tall Doberman.

-"Oh but this kind of thing can't wait for tomorrow, you're Howard Evans right? I came here because my _contact_ notified me that he needs his order to be picked up from this store."-The man replied to the shopkeeper, with a cigarette in his mouth and a smirk on his face. The shopkeeper took a gander at the stranger before replying to him, noticing the big scar on his left eye- it seems that it even damaged a small part of the eye as well.

-"Mind if I ask what happened to your eye?"-The shopkeeper asked.

-"I **_don't_**   think you _really_ want to know that, now let's talk business shall we? Let me in and I'll tell you what my contact ordered. He's a _very_ busy man and can't be bothered with waiting so I suggest doing it quickly."-The man added.

-"V-very well, come in then."-The shopkeeper escorted the mysterious man into the store and close the door after him, placing the "Closed" sign on it to prevent other people from thinking the store is still open.

-"So what _did_ he exactly order? And what's his name so I'll know where to find it."

-"His name is Hugh, Hugh Are-dead."

-"That's a very weird na-"-Before he continued speaking, the man stabbed the shopkeeper in the chest with great force, laughing slightly at the gory scene around him. Luckily the street was empty, and no witnesses saw what happened, a perfect opportunity for him to steal the jewels in the store. The body couldn't be left behind so he had the idea to take a match and burn the place, no evidence can remain after this robbery.

This man was known as _Blake Price_ , a loyal Blood roses member who had the will to kill anyone who dares to stop him from doing his job. He wasn't exactly the highest ranking criminal but he did get himself a decent reputation with his co-workers and contacts who give him the jobs he needs for money.

Many rookie criminals, like Blake in the past, had to work their asses off day and night to get enough money for themselves. The simple policy was basically this: The higher your rank, the less missions you do because of the risk of getting caught is bigger than a rookie's. High ranked criminals pretty much live the easy life, with plenty of cash and lack of missions- they mostly lay low to not get arrested by the SPPD. But in Blake's case, he still needs to earn a few extra dollars to sustain himself daily, so he tries to do as many missions as he can find- despite those missions take away his free time and energy, he does them anyway for the sole sake of money.

Blake took as many jewels he could carry and placed them in a big bag he found at the storage room before finally leaving, setting the store on fire with a small match. Thanks to the store's mostly wooden structure it burned down and barely left any signs of the crime scene. He got in the car parked near the store, it wasn't any special, in fact it was very old yet it was the only car Blake could afford to himself.


	2. Bound to the Bloodroses

 

 

Blake finally arrived at the H.Q, grabbing the sack full of jewels from the trunk of his car and heading to the entrance to open the door. Inside, he noticed the rather small amount of people today, usually the entire building would be full of criminals desperately seeking for a job to do. He noticed Byron, his contact, calling him by waving his hand and a light smirk on his gritty face. Byron, like any criminal had the distinct clothing and hair to match his faction - he had black hair, a dark leather jacket stained with blood, and loose pants that almost fell off him as he got off the counter to call Blake over.

A few criminals in the back noticed the huge sack Blake was carrying and were wondering to themselves what is in there, they whispered to each other while seeing him walking to Byron. Blake didn't care about those guys gossiping on him, he ignored their chatter and continued to carry the heavy sack and deliver it to Byron.

 

\- "So I see you brought what I wanted successfully, is everything in there?" -Byron smirked, looking at the sack and opening it, waiting for Blake to respond.

\- "Everything I could carry, there was a shit load of jewels in that store, by the time I would collect every tiny piece of them the cops would have found me already. Also...I got rid of the evidence for you, just in case he would dare to rat to the SPPD."- Blake smirked, showing Byron the knife covered in blood from his pocket.

\- "Good job Blake, though I can't give you the price you wanted, that kind of money can't be just given on such a simple job. Let's be realistic here, even a rookie could do this crap. So 5k is a little too far, even for you."- Byron frowned, he gave Blake his paycheck for the job, but as expected the amount is rather small, only around 200 dollars.

\- "So stop shitting me about getting a raise, prove yourself first. Sure you can shoot with an ALIG, but that doesn't mean a mid-rank like yourself deserves this kind of money yet. You should be thankful for getting an apartment and a car from us, others weren't so lucky and had to start from scratch, even with their low wage they still survived the first few days. If I were you, I would be grateful that the Blood roses even gave a damn about my financial status that much, that they found an apartment for me, hell even a fucking functioning car!"- Byron stood up in front of Blake, getting a little angry over of his idea that he would get more money than he really deserves. He pulled out a small pistol from his pocket and aimed it near Blake's face with a threatening look in his eyes. 

It was known that the Blood Roses would financially aid the poorer members, yet the supplies were cheaply made and counted for short periods of time. Only the lowest ranked members would need for such funding, and many of them never make it past their early twenties. As soon as a member dies, his funded equipment is brought to the next criminal seeking for one. 

\- "Do what you're told and everything will be alright, don't argue with me Blake. It's not worth your time."- Byron added, placing the pistol back into his pocket.

\- "Any more missions I could do? I need more money and this isn't even half of what I need for the rent this month."- Blake asked. Since he was no longer a low ranked criminal, he had to pay the rent of said funded apartment. 

\- "Well, if you would show up two hours ago and taken more than one mission, but unfortunately for you, the others took those missions so you're free to go. I'll call if I receive something from the others, see you later."- Byron replied, giving Blake a slight pat on the back before walking away into his office in the back.

Blake sighed, seeing Byron leave he decided to do the same thing, he got into his car and drove back to his apartment ten blocks away. Despite feeling tired, he tried to hold on to the wheel before falling asleep from exhaustion, he did all kinds of missions all day, from 5:00 AM till now. It's no wonder that he almost fell asleep during his drive home, luckily the apartment building was only a few meters away from him. During a normal work day, Blake usually had only 1 hour of break time before having to head to do other missions, back when he first joined it was even harder and it was a very stressed time for him. Finally, he arrived to the parking lot of his apartment building, parking the car and walking towards the entrance door to the building.

The building itself was rather old yet it was the only home Blake had, same goes to his neighbors who didn't exactly own a gold mine. The elevator was broken like always so Blake had to take the stairs to the 7th floor, that's where he lived. Once he unlocked the door and got in, the strong smell of rotten food and spilled beer floated across his nose and made him cover it. The apartment was very low maintained due to Blake almost never being home, maybe for three hours a day if he's lucky enough, but he uses those three hours to sleep and nothing else.

He discovered that the rotten smell came from the kitchen, the takeaway food he ordered rotted in the fridge and spread the smell around it. The fridge was almost empty, it only had leftovers, half empty beer cans and energy drinks- which made other smells mix in with the rot as well. He sighed, taking out a trash bag from the cabinet above him and getting rid of the rotten food from the fridge to prevent the smell from spreading any further.

You might think a criminal like him would have a better meal once in a while, but even mid ranked criminals have the issue of getting food on the table, not having enough time to buy food or ordering something that isn't a cheap meal which only lasts in the stomach for a few hours. Half of the food Blake ate in his years as a criminal was from parties he attended, he took the scraps with him and saved them for as long as possible before they would spoil. After getting rid of all the nasty stuff in that fridge, he took out a can of beer that was still drinkable, placing it on the coffee table in the living room before going to the restroom. Once finishing his business and drinking the can of beer, he immediately jumped in his bed when opening the bedroom door. Unlike the rest of the place, the bedroom was the cleanest and barely had any filth, quite surprising for our criminal friend to keep his room so tidy, but leaving the rest of the place to get dirty with no issue.  


	3. Another restless day

**_6:30 AM- Blake's apartment_ **

 

-"Damn. This is the first time I slept so well.-"He admitted. -"Ugh... Better check if Byron sent me anything on the phone."- Blake mumbled to himself, looking at the clock and getting off the bed, stretching, then checking his smartphone for any messages.

-"You got some jobs to do today, you have _one_ hour to show up or don't bother showing up _at all._ "- Blake sighed upon seeing this message, cleaning his eyes and putting the phone back on the drawer next to the bed. He closed the bedroom door and headed to take a morning shower, coughing slightly and scratching his head with a soft yawn. Unfortunately for Blake, the water in the shower is  always cold, he couldn't afford a heater, nor he had the time to install one. Once he started to wash himself, the water that dripped from his body had a gray texture, he looked at the dripping water and sighed.

His entire body was covered in sweat, dry blood and dirt from all the dirty work he does, when he's lucky enough, he showers twice a week - when you're in combat, personal hygiene is a low priority for a criminal like Blake. He rubbed his arms around his back and chest, feeling the rough and deep scars surrounding his once smooth body, from all those constant battles his skin paid an ugly price. You could pretty much see scars, wounds and nasty sores all over him, on his arms, legs, and most noticeable - on the face. Alongside his scarred body, he had a tattoo with the Blood Roses insignia imprinted on his left arm. It was done by someone who he had kept close to his heart. 

It only took mere 2 minutes for him to do a quick shower with the ice-cold water, he took a dry towel and dried himself quickly. Sure he had a full hour for himself, but he tends to always do things in a hurry to catch some spare time for everything.  
Like any day, he wore his black buttoned long shirt with a popped collar hiding a quarter of his jaw, long black pants, and of course the standard issued pair of black shoes with small blue stripes on them.

It may seem dumb to wear all black in the unforgivable San Paro sun, but they were the clothes he had left, that didn't get burned or damaged without repair. The simplest breakfast Blake could make in the remaining time was just black coffee and a cigarette on the side, he always liked to eat his food at the apartment balcony, also a good place to smoke and not stink up the whole place.

He had enough time to relax, which he wasn't used to at all, being a criminal is mostly just tight schedules and non stop pressure from both your teammates and work.  
Only after relaxing for several minutes, he couldn't take it anymore. This relaxation is something that he didn't experience for years, and it drove him angry enough to get to the Blood roses HQ early. His head was constantly pumping as he left the apartment, went downstairs and got in his car, rushing to the HQ as if time was pressing on to him, despite he had a lot of it just for himself.

 

**_7:05 AM- Bloodroses HQ, waterfront dist._ **

 

He finally arrived at the HQ, surprised to see he wasn't the only one going for a mission this early in the morning, a whole line stood in front of him, full of criminals from mostly the low ranks. High ranks almost never show up to the HQ, for them all the missions and exact details are given via their cellphones.

The criminals kept pushing each other, as if they were standing in line with food stamps in their hands, well, they _did_  look like homeless people. Blake tried to push some people off to get to Byron eventually, it was a little hard but he did get through most of the criminals desperate for a job.

\- **_"Move along assholes, I can't wait any longer! Come on already! move your asses out of the damn way!_** " -Blake yelled at the criminals standing on the line, he was impatient, feeling like somebody is aiming a rifle on his head and if he won't get there on time he'd be killed. They looked at him with a frown, hollering back at him with rage, and trying to fight their way into the contacts standing by. Byron, alongside Britney Blood rose, another contact giving out missions from low to mid ranked criminals, stood there with him and tried to calm down the raging mob.

 

-"Hey..Hey, **_HEY!_ _be quiet all of you! Calm the fuck down or you all go hungry today_ _!_** "- The crowd heard Byron's words and silenced. -"Thank you, now, All low ranked criminals report for Britney, all low between mid ranks report for me. Stop making such a damn mess, we're _civilized_ people after all aren't we? Or all of you are savages? Yeah I don't think so. Now act like human beings and stand in line _without_ making any sudden movements."- Byron frowned, pointing to the criminals where to stand, then sitting on the counter with his palm on his forehead.

 ** _-"These idiots seriously act like little kids, Jesus...Why are low ranks so childish_..."** \- Byron thought to himself before getting to see the next criminal in line. The line for mid ranks was much smaller than the low ranks line. So many rookies, so little missions and time.  
Until it was Blake's turn, five different criminals took their jobs and rushed to do 'em as fast as they could. They wanted to get more when they get back, time is precious for job hunters. Blake raised his brow from their immediate reaction to getting a mission, he thought that those guys might've took the job hunting too far.

Finally, Blake was able to speak to Byron.

 

-"For once, someone who _isn't_ a crazy son of a bitch. So, how was your night?"- Byron asked, patting Blake on the back.

-"It was pretty good, but I'm still not really used to it."-He replied. -"Anyway, I need my missions, and you need your manual labor, give me what I need and this'll be quick."-Blake added with a slightly faster tone.

-"Woah there, no need to rush this thing."-Byron paused for a second, continuing when Blake stopped acting all hyper. -"Well, your missions for today are: Join the team in the Financial district, they need some backup with the cop problem. Raid a house and steal the drugs that were taken away from my associates by an enforcer, And...Wow lucky you, that is it for today. Consider yourself lucky Blake, **_now get to work_**."- Byron said, giving Blake another pat on the back before letting him go do his job.

It may seem like a small amount of missions, but each can last even up to five  _hours_ , depending on the case itself, and the number of people present for that specific mission. Some missions can be done alone, yet many require a team of at least ten people, or even more when things get dirty.


	4. Cars go boom, guns go bang

 

Blake drove to the location, on the way he saw a large pile of burnt police vehicles on the sidewalk, a sign that he is getting closer. He got interrupted by one of the criminals, they seemed to be asking for help from Blake.

- ** _"Oh dude you're here_** , **_we need backup quick!_ _The cops are calling in for more people and we need a machine gunner, you are one right_ _?_ _"_** -The criminal yelled, the sounds of explosions and loud gunfire made it hard to hear anything so yelling was the only way to make Blake hear him.

-" ** _Yeah I got an ALIG, is that good enough?_** "-Blake replied, yelling as well.

-" ** _Hell yeah it is, follow me and I'll tell you where to stand a_ _t_ _._** "- The criminal waved at Blake, showing him where to go. Blake got out of his car and took out the ALIG from the trunk- an ALIG was considered as a slow, yet _powerful_ machine gun, mostly used against enemy vehicles.

The two ran towards the main area where the enforcers started to fight back, the criminal signaled Blake to take cover.

-"You see that group of Vaqueros next to those guys at 12 o'clock? If you blow them up with your ALIG it'll give the rest of our team a chance to strike while they are trying to recover themselves. Just stay hidden and don't let them see or hear you, or else they will know what we plan to do."- The criminal said to Blake in a silent tone, the two were hiding behind a wall 20 meters away from the enforcing team.

A bunch of other remaining criminals hid nearby as well, in case Blake won't make it they would have to fight their way through , with weaker weapons but at least they had something to fire.

-"Our backup unfortunately just got _cancelled_ , they had to attend to more important missions, so right now you're the only help we got to get rid of those rats away from here. The cops tried to take down one of our drug dealers...  _Sadly_ they killed him before we got the chance to save him, and now they are trying to take us down too. The name's Shawn, and you must be Blake. Anyway, good luck with those guys, I'll try and distract their view from your point temporarily, when you get the chance shoot the engines and make the enforcers blow up!"-Shawn smiled at Blake, then he walked to his post and waited for the right time to distract the enforcers.

 

Meanwhile the enforcers stood around the area where they killed the drug dealer, his body was laying next to them, they circled it and looked at every possible direction a criminal could pop up. 5 of them were close enough to get hit by the explosion, but the other 4 were less likely to get seriously hit, so those 4 the hidden criminals will have to take on after Blake blows up the engine and kills the first 5 enforcers.

 

-"See anything yet?"-An enforcer said to his colleague while looking around

-"Nah, nothing so far."-He replied with a sigh, using his Binoculars for a possible sign of a criminal around. "-Why won't they strike already. What the hell are they waiting for, the Messiah?"-He laughed, once again patrolling around with the Binoculars.

-"Hey! Over here scrubs! If you want to catch me so bad, come and get me!"-Shawn taunted them, attempting to lure the cop's eyes away.

-"What the hell is he trying to do, get himself killed?"-One enforcer said sarcastically.

-"Well, let's not keep the poor man waiting, after him!"-The enforcer signaled the others to fire at his command. While the enforcers aimed at Shawn, Blake took a run for it and hid closer to the vehicles to get a better angle, only trying to lock a target with this heavy machine gun was hard already. When the enforcers locked their eyes at Shawn, Blake took it as the signal when Shawn gave him a quick wink, he started to fire bullets to the Vaquero's engines.

In a matter of seconds the engines began to leak and smoke from the heavy fire, the surrounding enforcers took a massive hit in the legs, a common targeted weak spot. Before they had a chance to escape the engines started to set fire, and the enforcers nearby exploded with them, leaving traces of blood, fire and the Vaquero's remaining skeleton. The surviving ones were still after Shawn, he lead them to a meet up point where the hidden criminals patiently waited to kill on sight.

 

Before Shawn got away without a hit from the battlefield, a dying enforcer had the chance to shoot him in the head while laying down on the pavement, bleeding to death. Like a piece of plastic Shawn fell on the ground and bled from the bullet, dying quickly with the same enforcer who killed him. Blake showed up to the scene when he finally got rid of all the enforcers in his spot, he looked at Shawn's dead eyes and lowered his head to respect him, so did the criminals surrounding him.

 

-"He was a great planner, if it wasn't for him we would all be in prison by now."- One of the criminals said with his head lowered and his weapon drawn forward like a general respecting his fallen soldier's death. -"But I bet the rest here agree with me, if it wasn't for your ALIG Blake, we would have been dead anyway. We'll take his body from here and bury it somewhere, you can head on to your next job if you'd like."- The mourning criminal added.

Blake took a gander around him. He saw burnt and shot bodies that laid around the pavement covered in blood and empty bullets. He felt like he was leaving from war, only looking at the scene made him a little shocked, but not too much. It's not the first time he got to see a bloody battlefield, but it still gets him every time he sees it after a mission, whether successful or not, it still made him feel terrible. He felt sorry for him, getting shot dead by an enforcer is one of many terrible ways a criminal can lose his life. 

Only after mere seconds of looking at his surroundings again, he left to the next mission as if this never happened. The ambulance siren was already on its way to pick up the deceased enforcers, once hearing it, he hurried into his car, pushed on the gas pedal and drove off quickly. Criminals like Blake tend to experience trauma after seeing this many bodies, blood and other gory scenes in their jobs, but eventually they got used to that emotional reaction. Of course memories tend to pop in once in a while, flashbacks of missions gone horribly wrong, those sadly no criminal can prevent from experiencing at least once. 

Many of them actually stopped showing emotion to their killing, to prevent a random _mental breakdown_ , and to show the rest how ruthless they really are. Blake sometimes acts cold and cruel as well, but in some cases he can break down with rather unpleasant side effects. He has been this way ever since he joined the Blood roses 7 years ago, feeling under pressure, and the fear of getting caught almost always chases his mind.


	5. Respect for the dead

While driving to the next mission, Blake decided to call Byron and ask him about Shawn a little. It made him wonder, _do the contacts care about the death of the fallen ones?_

Byron saw his pocket vibrating, he picked up the phone and raised his brow from seeing the caller. -"Aren't you supposed to do your missions? If you finished them already I'd say you're getting pretty serious."-Byron informed to Blake, even before starting to hear what he had to say.

-"I'm on my way to the second one, I just want to know what are you going to do about Shawn, the guy who was with me in the first mission."- Blake asked, waiting for an answer while rapidly driving through the narrow road.

-"Shawn? ...How does he look like again?"-Byron asked in slight confusion. He barely remembered how his own men looked like, so from time to time he would ask about it.

-"You know... Brown spiky hair on the half of his head, brown eyes, short... Um, I'd say he was in his early twenties or something."-Blake responded, he too almost forgot how Shawn looked like before he got shot in the head.

-"Oh yeah what about him?"

-"He **_died_** today, you know that right?"-Blake expected Byron to know of this, but it's reasonable for busy people like Byron to forget minor mission details.

-"And? _Oh god not this again_... Blake, I told you _thousands_ of times, people die here **_every fucking day_**. From rookies to rich elite ranked guys, what do you think makes that Shawn guy so special that I should give a damn about his mistakes?!"-He angered.

-"You've been in this business since you turned 18, I thought you'd forget about this damn thing already. He. Is. Dead. End of story. I'm not going to set up a funeral for every idiot who does his job wrong and gets killed for it, you should be considered lucky not to die for the past 7 years... Others died on their first day, that Shawn guy was here for like what... Three years now? He isn't any different from the others who work here, nobody gets special treatment, end of discussion." -He added, hating it when people ask these kind of questions.

 

If he were to care about every little soul who worked for him, his job would have turned him mad, thinking about the fact that at least one of his workers dies  _per day._ Once proving his point he hung up the call and threw the phone on the ground, slamming it on the hard concrete floor.

 

Blake sighed, tossing the phone on the front seat while holding one of his hands on the wheel. -"Jesus, I can't believe almost nobody cared about that guy, his friends sure gave a damn about it...Well I guess I can't stop Byron or the other contacts from not giving a shit." **-** He thought to himself and sighed **. -** "I should just focus on my own job right now, let's see... Gotta help those guys over there with stealing back some drugs, should be easy enough."- He added, holding the wheel tight while pushing the gas pedal with his foot to increase the speed, leaving tire marks on the asphalt.

 

Once entering the crime scene with his car, he saw that the mission was just getting started, as he attempted to park the car in a hidden place - the other criminals were already walking towards the building, holding many kinds of fire arms, including tools to bust open the door. He got the ALIG from the trunk and ran towards the location.

A bunch of them surrounded the door, threatening the enforcer to come out and surrender, while one of them attempted to break in from the window. Blake moved in and asked if he could do anything , the criminal whose about to bust open the door said with a grunt that there's no need for backup, and everything is under control. Despite what he said, Blake wasn't so sure, and had the feeling this was some kind of trap.

Suddenly, a group of enforcers came from their hiding spots, just several meters away from the criminals, they lacked in numbers. However, they had a squad of accurate snipers on their team. It was only a matter of minutes before the blood began to spill, the criminals noticed the attack, and struck back with the exact force. Blake helped his teammates, he got hit several times, but he ignored the pain and instead tried to save them from getting killed. Even if he tried to fend off the enforcers, he couldn't fight them on his own. He was able to shoot down some targets, yet some from his team got shot as well.

 

-" ** _Get them! Don't let them run away with the drugs!_** " -One enforcer shouted, throwing a tear gas grenade at the darting criminals. Successfully hitting a few of them, and taking them out before anything else happens. -" ** _Watch out for that ALIG carrier,_ _stay out of his range!_** "-The enforcer added, looking around for Blake. He heard the sound of an ALIG commencing to fire once more at his crew, so he knew this can't be any good.

Blake hid behind a wall, reloading his heavy weapon and making sure nobody's close to him. Hearing steps coming from the back, he held the ALIG tight and aimed at the source, an enforcer came to him. Blake panicked, thinking the cops brought some backup to take on him, though this wasn't the case. An enforcer putting his hands in the air slowly approached Blake, the same enforcer who threw the tear gas grenade. He had an idea to make Blake think he's giving up, so he could steal the ALIG, kill him and take down the others.

Though as easy as the enforcer thought it would be, Blake knew these old fashioned tricks, without saying a word he began to fire rapidly at the enforcer, leaving holes all over his chest. Blake shook his head, giving a devious smile at the bleeding corpse. He ran back to help his co workers, but it seemed like it was too late. The remaining criminals were short in number, they hid inside empty trashcans to protect themselves from the surviving snipers still patrolling the roof.

Although he wanted to aim and put bullets all over those sniper's bodies, his ALIG couldn't fire from such a range and hit as effective as it can with a close to mid range. So instead of hitting them on the head, an idea came to him. While the snipers were looking at the other side and reloading, Blake sneaked to the hidden criminals and told them his idea.

-"Now listen, those snipers can't be hit with our guns. _But_   if we can get up there, we could finish 'em off."-Blake whispered, he kept looking back at the snipers while giving out the plan, to make sure they didn't spot him yet.

The remaining criminals nodded, sneaking to the sniper's post and attempting to attack them from behind. Blake was right behind them, passing them a smoke grenade to throw at the unsuspecting victims. Blake's co worker threw the grenade with force on the ground, causing it to bounce a little, and release its smoke.

 

-" _ **Grenade!**_ "-One of the snipers warned the rest, seeing the grenade hit and expand the smoke across the post. Despite the warning, it didn't take long before Blake and the crew ambushed them like wolves in the fog, viciously attacking the snipers by strangling them and pinning them down. The smoke vanished from the air quickly, allowing for them to see the results.

The three snipers were laying on the floor, all suffocated to death with their eyes and mouths wide open. As if they were frozen solid. They victoriously cheered and roared from the top of their lungs as a success for killing those pesky snipers, however, it was too early to celebrate. The drugs were gone, two enforcers escaped with severe wounds on their bodies, carrying the drugs away from the scene.

-" ** _FUCK! I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY GOT AWAY_ _!_** "-One of the criminals added in rage, slamming his gun on the floor and breathing heavily.

-"That's not all, look around you."-Blake walked to him, showing them the true loss. From the roof it was clearly seen how the area was full of fatalities, eleven criminals came... Only three standing. The enforcers were short in number, but thanks to the sniper team's accuracy, they took down a huge portion of their enemies. Originally being only six, three snipers and three other enforcers. Blake placed his forehead on his hand, the terror of seeing such bloodshed caused an uneven feeling in his corrupt mind. But just like any day of the week, no funerals were made, and everyone else moved on with their lives. As if this never happened.

 


	6. Forget it ever happened

Blake and the remaining criminals planned on heading back to Byron's, there was no time to mourn, nor a need to care too much. After all, criminals die every day, thinking about every single one of them is bound to drive you mad.

The two other surviving criminals were in terrible condition, they could barely keep up with him. One was suffering from a bleeding wound near his neck, the other was shot in the chest and lost a lot of blood on the way. It didn't take long till they collapsed, falling next to his feet and covering his soles with blood as he stepped away from them. He sighed, took out a cigarette from his pocket and continued to walk towards his parked car.

 _-"You can't do anything now...Just leave and forget about it ...Forget this ever happened"_ **-** He said to himself with his head lowered, inhaling the fumes and then exhaling them through his nostrils. Throwing the cigarette away as quickly as he lit it.

 

He drove back to the HQ, feeling a little nervous about telling Byron what happened in that mission. But he couldn't just lie to him and tell that they're still alive, lying would make him in even more trouble than he already is. Despite Byron not caring for his men, losing many at once so quickly can make him pretty furious.

Blake parked the car near the entrance, walking towards the door and taking a deep breath before opening it. -"Just tell him what happened, be calm...Don't show any signs of guilt on you..STAY _CALM._ ** _"_ -**These words kept whispering through his head, he wanted them to stop yet they intensified the closer he walked to Byron. When he was finally near him, the whispering stopped.

 

-"Well look who's back, How was the mission?"-Byron smiled, a surprising reaction from him when he was angry as hell just around an hour ago.

-"It..Had a little flop. We lost the drugs, and _some_ members."-Blake replied, trying to hide away the true facts for a while.

-"Where's everyone else? They should be lining up for the next mission by now...Are they still there or something?"-Byron took a look behind Blake's shoulder, seeing if any of the criminals are approaching the door.

-"T-They...Died...All of 'em. I tried to protect them but I couldn't do it, all ten of 'em died today. Two were alive with me, but died shortly from their injuries. I warned them all, that this is a trap- no mission is _that_  easy...But they didn't listen, and died from their mistakes.."-Blake replied, stuttering slightly and speaking a little louder than Byron.

-"You...I can't believe it.. ** _YOU KILLED MY BEST MID RANKED MEN! YOU COULD HAVE SACRAFICED YOURSELF INSTEAD YOU FUCKING MORON!_** "-His mood quickly changed from happy to angry once more, yelling at Blake's face. -"You could have prevented this... ** _You could have killed those damn cops!"-_**  Byron continued to burst his anger on Blake.

-" ** _I COULDN'T DO JACK SHIT, YOU THINK I CAN JUST KILL THEM ALL WITH AN ALIG? THERE WERE FUCKING SNIPERS UP THERE...I COULDN'T AIM ON THEM AT ALL!_** "- Blake screamed back at Byron, unleashing his rage as well. -" ** _THIS WHOLE THING IS YOUR FAULT, YOU SENT US THERE AND YOU KILLED THEM!_** "-Blake pushed him aside, staring angrily at his eyes.

-"You really think I'd put all of you in a mission if I were to know it was a sting?! **_YOU THINK I HAVE NO BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN SEND MY OWN MEN TO DIE, KNOWING THAT SAME MISSION IS A STING OPERATION BY THOSE COCK SUCKING COPS?!_** I can't prevent those cops from sending stings to you, those guys were morons to not know... Like yourself... Blaming me for what the cops did."-Byron replied with the same amount of anger on Blake, holding his fist in his hands and giving him a strong punch.

 

The punch hit him so hard in the face that he fell on his back. -" ** _You're dismissed_**...I'll notify you if any missions pop up... ** _Do not_** piss me off again Blake, or it will go _bad_ for you."-He got closer to Blake, staring at him and tightly holding the edge of his shirt. Then loosing the grip and letting Blake's head hit the hard floor.

With no choice, Blake got up and left like it was nothing, the pain was huge but he knew that if he were to show pain to Byron, he would be considered a weakling. As he got out of the HQ, he wiped away the running blood from his lips and nose with his arm, leaving blood marks over his black shirt. The blood still leaking from there, dripping on the pavement outside.

 

He ignored the bleeding and went to get into his car and drive home,but suddenly he saw something that made him crouch and hide behind the car instead. It was an enforcer vehicle chasing down a runaway criminal in a black fancy Vegas that was presumably stolen. The last thing Blake needed was more cops, so he hid behind his car, and peeked from the window to see what's going on. He saw a female enforcer coming out of the front door window of the police car, aiming a gun on the runaway's car tires to puncture them.

The runaway looked back at the shooting enforcer, he didn't notice the car moving straight to a streetlight, and crashed into it with the front of the stolen Vegas damaged. The engine releasing smoke from the collapse. Blake raised his brow from the scene, he was surprised by the sheer accuracy of that woman who shot the tires. The police vehicle parked right next to the broken Vegas, with two female enforcers coming out of it and pointing their guns at the runaway criminal getting off the car with his hands in the air.

One approached him while the other made sure he wasn't going to run any longer by pointing the pistol on his forehead a few centimeters away. The enforcer pinned the runaway criminal into the wall, giving him a quick body search and using handcuffs to arrest him. The task was done quickly,and the two enforcers dragged the man away and left without a trace.

 


	7. The mysterious enforcer

Blake got up, he wasn't sure if what he just saw was for real, or his mind is playing tricks on him.

-"Damn, those two were pretty good...I wouldn't want to be caught by them. But it's not like I won't hurt them if they would threaten me like that. All enforcers are enemies. No cop is innocent."- He said to himself quietly while reaching his hand to the car door, it was shaking a little, covered in dry blood.

 **-** "Jesus I gotta get this cleaned up..." **-** He looked at his arm, covered in blood and smelled like a butcher shop landed on it.

Blake started the car and drove back home, to enjoy the few hours he had for himself to clean up and get some rest. As he drove through the busy roads of the city, he kept seeing a flashback of him falling on the floor from Byron's punch. He was nervous, wiping sweat from his forehead while trying to focus his eyes on the road. If he were to make more mistakes like this, he would have been killed by Byron, or by anyone else that the Blood roses would want to send.

 

Even though it was a criminal gang, basic rules and policies were had to be made to keep everything in order. The leading gangs can't deal with disobedient members, sometimes not having any choice but to end their lives before they cause any commotion.

Blake slowed down the car as it approached a street light, giving him a chance to take out a cigarette and smoke, to calm him down a little. He grabbed one from his pocket and lit it with his two hands shaking, still noticing the dry marks of blood on both of them. As the traffic light signaled him to drive, he inhaled it quickly and drove on home.

He parked the car, and went upstairs to his apartment. It was annoying to take all those steps, but since the elevator was not going to be fixed any time soon, he had to deal with it. Finally reaching his door, he opened it quickly and slammed it as he got inside, without even thinking he rushed to the bathroom mirror to take a gander at what Byron did to his face.

He took a few steps back from seeing red marks all over it, though it was just dry blood, it still looked like Byron broke his nose. He released water from the tap, gathering some in his hands and washing his face. The washed away blood got mixed in with the water, making the sink look like he bled all over it once letting the water down the drain.

With his face clean, he saw that it wasn't too damaged, feeling lucky that his nose didn't fracture or break after Byron's raging punch. He took a small sip from the running water, gargled it and spit out all of the remaining blood. He then took a shower, and used his shower to clean up the messy clothes with a bar of soap. To dry them, he hung his clothes on the balcony. For now, because his only pieces of clothing were being dried, he had to walk around the place with his underwear. 

 

He sat on the couch and looked at the ceiling, hearing his loud neighbors hump each other on the next floor, sighing and moving to his bedroom, to sit in a more quiet place. Blake felt a little worried about those enforcers from before, yet he also knew that there's no need to show fear, what's to be afraid of...They were ordinary cops doing their daily job, and he could kill 'em as much as any other person. One of the main things Blake wasn't afraid of is killing someone on command, if that same person is a threat to him or to his work, he will show no mercy on that same person and his...Or _her_ life if needed to. He couldn't lay down, so he got up again to look at himself on the mirror.

His bedroom mirror unlike the bathroom one, showed all of his body, a strong yet a damaged body covered by scars and stitched wounds. His eyes had a purple pattern, hiding away his real eye color, even his hair- dyed in deep blue hid away his true colors. If he were to remove the eye contacts and the dye, he would be seen as a whole other person.

His eyes stared at the mirror, constantly moving around and checking his reflected appearance. He took a small hair brush from the drawer next to the mirror, and brushed his hair and the little goatee on his chin. Unfortunately for him, only after a few short hours of relaxation, Byron called him. He rushed to the living room to pick up the phone.

 

-"You got a mission to do, when you get there you'll see some criminals around the abandoned highway, they need to deliver a suitcase full of cash, and the cops are preventing them from doing anything. Come over there and one of the guys will tell you where to go, hurry up! They need you as backup!"-Byron said, hanging up as soon as he finished delivering the message. Blake rushed downstairs, into his car- driving quickly to the location.

The abandoned San Paro Highway.

Once used as a transportation route for the citizens, but ever since it got taken over by criminals, nobody dares to drive there anymore. Blake stopped the car nearby, getting the ALIG and loading it with some bullets before heading closer to the crime scene.

 

Once there, he was greeted by a sniper behind an old construction office. -"Good thing you came, about time we got some backup. Is anyone _else_ coming?"-The sniper looked away for a split second before looking back at Blake.

-"No, Byron told me to show up. I haven't seen anyone else behind me."-Blake replied silently, peeking from the office and seeing a bunch of enforcers guarding the delivery point.

-"Well since you're a big guy, you could distract those bastards by blowing 'em up, and by blowing 'em up I mean **_KABOOM_** all over the place!"-The sniper replied with enthusiasm. -"Though watch out for that girl over there, with the brown hair and blue eyes... Boy, she's an accurate bitch let me tell 'ya that... 'Killed four of our men with the help of her friends over there. Me and my squad here are gonna split up and attack, while you get up on the roof and **_shoot_** **_everything you see!_** "-He added, pointing Blake to the roof. Blake nodded with a smirk, grabbing his ALIG, strapping it on his back and using the ladder to get on the roof.

Blake felt a little enthusiastic as well, so he started to direct his ALIG towards the air, shoot around with it and laugh manically. The sudden flow of adrenaline and the urge to kill his enemies made him look even more crazy than he already is. - ** _"YOU COPS WILL NEVER BEAT US, THE BLOODROSES NEVER FALL!_** "-Blake yelled, shooting to the sky with enthusiasm.

-"This idiot wants to get himself killed?"-One of the enforcers added, taking cover behind the car. -" ** _Well let's not keep him waiting, make his dream come true!_** "-The same female enforcer from before was there, she smirked and aimed her N-TEC at him. She almost hit his forehead but the bullet passed above Blake's hair as he jumped up and down like a crazed monkey.

The surrounding criminals came out of their hiding spots and opened fire at the enforcers, a surprise attack that they weren't ready for.

 

-" ** _KATY ,GO TAKE CARE OF THAT LUNATIC ON THE ROOF, WE'LL TRY AND STOP THE OTHERS, KEEP THAT MACHINE GUNNER OUT OF SIGHT!_** "-One enforcer shouted, getting hit by Blake's continuous fire at one of the cars. She nodded, running towards him with a raging expression on her face, Blake saw her approaching and started to lead her away from the scene. He kept firing around the area, to try and scare her, but it didn't work like he thought it would.

She walked closer to Blake, holding the N-TEC in her hands, closing him in a concrete wall. He took out the ALIG and tried to shoot at her, but it was empty, all of the bullets that remained in there he used to fire at the sky.

She frowned, pointed the N-TEC barrel on his forehead, and got ready to pull the trigger on him. In her eyes, he seemed too helpless to hurt her, with no weapons on him, and cornered to a wall, he had no way to fight back. He angered, staring her down and expecting to meet death right in the eye. But instead, she didn't hit him.

She hit the wall, a few inches away from his body. Without a single word, she left the area and rushed to help her squad in battle. -" _W-What the fuck was that, what was she waiting for? Why didn't she just kill me..."-_ He thought to himself, looking at the mysterious enforcer heading back to the crime scene.


	8. Embarrassment

 " ** _Hey come back, we're not done here!_** "-Blake yelled to the rushing enforcer, following her as she ran towards her co workers. Before she could reach them, he pinned her down. As she fell, a pistol from her holster slipped out, giving Blake a chance to retaliate. He then aimed it on her. -"I said... ** _We're not done yet, bitch!_** "- He fired at the ground to intimidate her, each bullet nearing her head.

- ** _"Get your filthy criminal ass off me!_** "-She yelled at him.

-" ** _Why don't you make me first huh?_** You cops are all the same, **_Pathetic weaklings who can't do jack shit!_** "- He laughed.

-"I got no time for this crap..."- She said, slightly moving her arm to reach to her pockets. Upon finding a Taser in one of them, she reached on to it and shocked Blake in the arm, giving her a small chance to escape his grasp. 

Blake fell on the ground, he had a spasm after being electrocuted by the Taser. The temporary effect gave her a change to take back her pistol. He shrieked in pain, having the chance to glance at the enforcer running away from him once more. -" ** _F-Fuck...G-G-Get back here..._** "-He continued to spasm, stuttering by the aftermath. Several minutes passed before he could get back up on his feet and come back to continue the mission, he picked up his dropped ALIG and strapped it to his back.

The mission was successful for the criminals, they stopped the enforcers from reaching the suitcase, and Katy the remaining one, killed 2 of the men who attempted to shoot her. She and her squad were outnumbered as more criminal backup showed up. They had no choice but to flee, if they were to stay any longer, their lives will be over.

-" ** _YOU BETTER RUN! COWARDS!_** "- The criminals yelled to the fleeing enforcers, laughing and shooting to the sky as a method of celebration.

-" ** _TONIGHT WE PARTY 'TILL THE SUN GOES UP_**!"-One added, the others cheering and raising their weapons in victory. Blake smiled, he was standing close and admiring the pleasant view.

 **-"There's nothing better than seeing cops run away like that..."-** Blake thought to himself, taking out a cigarette and smoking from pure enjoyment. Today he comes back to the HQ with some pride on his shoulders. Instead of driving with his teammates to celebrate, he drove alone this time, he felt proud enough to tell Byron that he won the mission today. Despite him only stopping one enforcer, he believed it was a major part of the mission. He approached the headquarters with high hopes, opening the door and heading to talk to Byron.

 

-"Hey Byron, you won't believe wha-"Blake said before getting interrupted by Byron.

"No need to explain anything Blake, the guys told me everything...Good job on that mission, but seriously, you let an enforcer- A ** _female enforcer,_ _beat the living hell 'outta ya?_**   'Thought you are **_a merciless criminal_**... But you getting your ass kicked by a woman is just fucking hilarious!"-Byron started to laugh at him.

-"But she did something unexpected...She just ran away and didn't attack me back, only shocked me once and that's it. I'm telling you Byron, something here isn't right."-Blake replied, feeling a little ashamed when Byron laughed right in his face.

-"Pfft, Maybe she took a liking of you eh Blake? Oh how cute, ** _big boy Blake here can't hit a woman, Jesus Blake I thought you had some balls!_** "-He continued to laugh at Blake.-"She can't possibly be physically stronger than you, I never knew you had a soft spot for the ladies eh Blake?"-Byron winked at him, laughing for a while before stopping to speak a little more seriously.

-"If needed, you _know_ what to do...Just like you did with Natalie a few months ago."-He whispered to Blake. -"Your paycheck will be sent to your account shortly, for now, go and join the party tonight- Have a little break once in a while."-Byron gave him a short smile before turning his face to another criminal asking for a job. The surrounding criminals gossiped and laughed at Blake while pointing their fingers at him. Blake ignored them and walked away. However, the only word that floated in his mind was the name Byron mentioned. Natalie.

According to many criminals, they knew only one simple thing about her- she was Blake's ex. When he hears that cursed name, he wants to break something or even someone because of it. Nobody else but Blake and Byron know what _really_ happened to her, and both are keeping that secret away from the rest.

 

 

Meanwhile at the San Paro Police Department, located at the center of the city, Katy Anderson- the so called mysterious enforcer, was having a little chat with her friends in the break room. She had short dark brown hair, crystal blue eyes and a soft Caucasian tone. She was only 21, joined the SPPD at age 18, and gained some good reputation thanks to her great performance on duty.

-"So did you kill that enthusiastic spiky haired weirdo?"-One the enforcers asked her jokingly.

-"Nah, he wasn't armed. To me, attacking a man without a weapon isn't a worthy fight, he didn't have any ammo on him,  he seemed like a confused child more than an actual threat to me. I think he got _way too_ excited in that mission, got no clue how is he a Blood rose- a gang with usually tough guys trying to look cool and intimidating."-She laughed gently, her co-workers following her with delight, nothing makes enforcers laugh more than some gossip over another criminal "nobody".  

 

 

 

Blake drove back home with a feeling of disappointment, he thought that Byron would really care about what he did. Despite being insulted by Byron and everyone else, he still had to do his job for one main reason- Money. His current car was very slow compared to the cars his teammates owned, he never changed it. It was the same car he got on his first day, as a gift from the Blood roses to him, as expected it was a cheap car with some Blood rose decals all over it, a very basic car for a basic criminal. Blake was living with debt ever since he joined, he had to spend his money on basic necessities, not to mention the rent and other bills.

-"I can't believe those assholes, laughing at me like I'm some kind of fucking clown. I could have died there, and nobody even bothered to check up on me. If it wasn't for that damn enforcer chick I would get some damn respect for once, she'll pay with her life for making a fool out of me."-Blake said to himself, sitting on his old couch and reloading his ALIG with bullets.

A huge portion of his purchased ammo he kept at home, in his mind it was a more convenient way of storing them. -"I bet she got herself a little bounty on her head from those shooting skills, I could always use that money to get a better car for once. Tracking her shouldn't be a problem, once I get my hands on her she'll _regret_ the day she was born."-He smirked, giving an angry expression on his cold face.

 

 

As the sun slowly sets on the beaches of the waterfront area, the night begins-the highlight of criminal activity and the heaviest work hours for the enforcers. Katy, alongside her teammates started their car engines and drove to their next mission in the Waterfront district. According to the report some criminals are stealing valuable shipping luggage from the nearby ships, it's always a hard work to work at night and at sea simultaneously.

-"We got a luggage theft at one of ships, calling nearby units for backup."- the message was heard from the police radio at the approaching enforcer vehicles with Katy in her old Dolton. The enforcers finally arrived at the scene, they noticed that a huge part of the luggage inside of the main shipping tanks was missing, but like any investigation there are always signs of evidence.

One of the enforcers heard a sound coming from the driver booth of the ship, the door was open and it seemed that one of the criminals was hiding there. The tricky part was to get the criminal out and arrest him, since none of them knew if he was armed and dangerous or just afraid. A good friend of Katy named Jessie decided to climb up there, to try and capture this thief. When she finally got up there, she noticed a body of one of the workers. It was shot in the head, a note attached to his forehead with a rusty nail.

-" ** _I'm afraid you're too late, the loot has been taken and the ship's crew is dead. Try and find us now_** ** _!_** "- the note ended there, it had quite the messy writing and it wasn't clear who wrote this small note. Jessie, Katy and the rest of the enforcer team spitted up, looking for any possible evidence in the crime scene. After about half an hour only searching for something, a member from the team found something very interesting-Empty bullets that were fired by someone, and what seemed to be an assault rifle out of ammo.

-"This is strange...why would someone leave their weapon behind?"-Katy asked, she held the evidence pieces to check for any fingerprints or any more clues of who did this.

Suddenly, a huge gang of criminals ambushed the team of enforcers. Holding assault rifles, knives and other kinds of weaponry. As the enforcers noticed that they were surrounded, they had a choice-to fight them off or give up on the mission, but losing to these criminals would not be one of the choices.

-" ** _Katy! take the evidence pieces and get out of here! these are very important and we can't lose them!_** "- Jessie shouted to her as she started to fight off the crowd of the raging criminals attempting to murder her. The evidence was more important than the lives, since if you got no evidence...criminals can still roam freely with no boundaries.

-"You can count on me Jessie!"-Katy shouted back, took the evidence and ran as fast as she could, away from the ship to her car. However, someone got called to "take good care" of her.

 Before Katy and the enforcers even went to their night mission, Blake received a call from one of his contacts, Strega Blood rose wanted him to raid a cargo ship with expensive luggage alongside other criminals for a good sum of money. Blake himself needed it most so he couldn't refuse the task, he drove towards the port, but he had to stay there and wait for the signal, being the criminals beginning to raid the enforcers.


	9. Mercy

"This better be worth my time."-Blake sighed, looking at the cargo ship and noticing the signal. He took cover behind an old cargo tank, waiting for any enforcers passing by.

-" _Remember what Strega told you, if you see any cops, kill 'em on site with no mercy. Though why didn't she tell me to get on that cargo ship... Oh what the hell, I'll just kill whoever's gonna pass and get my paycheck._ "-He said to himself quietly, his voice slightly echoing through the hollow cargo tank.

Katy got closer to the scene, seeing her car just up ahead, she rushed to it while holding the evidence in her hand. If they were to get to the wrong hands there would be no evidence to frame those crooks for their doings.

-"W-What the?!"- She saw Blake's shadow from the tank, holding her weapon in her left hand while trying to grasp the evidence in her right hand. -"Come out of there with your hands up! If you don't follow my orders you will be shot on site!"-She yelled, pointing at the mysterious shadow coming from the hollow cargo tank. Blake stepped out slowly with his hands in the air, teasing Katy with a mocking smirk.

 -" ** _Tisk, tisk, tisk_** , look who showed up...The cop from before, now **_THIS_** will be interesting!"- Blake said with a smirk, he came out of the cargo tank and lowered his hands to hold the ALIG.

-"You wouldn't dare. I'm warning you!, I might  _look_ weak but I'm-"

-"Oh I know that _sweetie_... I know **_EVERYTHING_** , you're that so called Criminal killer am I right? Pfft, pathetic. So I got sent here just to take care of you?  ** _T_** ** _his is my lucky day_ _!_** "- Blake interrupted her, stretching his fingers while he held the ALIG. When he looked at her, he showed no sense of fear or regret of what he was about to do. For him it is just a simple task-Kill her and take away the evidence.

 

Katy dashed towards a stack of metal barrels to take cover, to hide from Blake's upcoming rapid fire. He started to aim and fire at Katy's legs, trying to make her fall down before reaching her hiding spot. She dodged them and jumped quickly behind the barrels, Blake continued to fire despite her being protected by the barrels. _But not for long_.

The barrels got punctured by Blake's massive fire, revealing lots of bullets holes and making Katy's face visible to his eye again.

-"You can't hide in there forever! ** _FIGHT ALREADY YOU COWARD!_** "-He laughed manically, teasing her to come out of her hiding and fight him. She peeked from the barrels and angered, placing the evidence down and taking out her N-TEC from the strap attached to her back. She took an aim at Blake's body, trying to be unreachable by ducking every time he fired towards her. His ammo slowly ran out when attempting to fire down the barrels, most of his bullets even dodged the target and landed in completely different places. His ALIG was known to sway the bullets from the actual target from time to time, a flaw to Blake's top weapon.

Katy took that flaw as a chance to strike, she got out of her hiding spot and fired rapidly at Blake's torso to neutralize him. Instead of taking cover and dodging the fire, he took the bullets in, still firing his remaining bullets at her with no sense of fear. Unfortunately even he had a limit, upon receiving heavy fire on his legs, he fell down like a timber on the heavy pavement. His legs bled and he squinted his eyes in pain, staring at Katy as she aimed the N-TEC at his face.

He could barely stand, yet he didn't give up just yet. He found a spare pistol in his pocket and tried to shoot Katy, but his body started to shake from the pain and so he missed his shots at her. She moved a little as he fired, only hitting a few centimeters from her shoe. Blake gave up, he didn't budge and let her arrest him.

 

-" ** _GO AHEAD AND FINISH THE JOB!I DARE YOU!_** "-He yelled, screaming in pain from the heavy injuries. Yet despite his will to fight, he was too weak, and eventually gave up. 

She proceeded to him with caution, pointing the N-TEC on his head as she looked at him laying on the ground, defeated. Katy placed the N-TEC on her back, taking out her handcuffs. Once his hands were tied together, she had a chance to do a quick body search. She didn't find anything too dangerous, only a few bullets for a pistol, a lighter with a half empty pack of cigarettes and his wallet. Before arresting him she went to pick up the evidence from the back of the barrel.

 **-** "This man can't do anything anyway, even if he tried" **-** She thought to herself while taking the evidence, and walked back to him.

She took an extra look on the handcuffs, making sure he doesn't try anything as soon as he gets escorted. Blake grunted as he felt the handcuffs press on his skin, he tried to sway a little but with no luck, his hands were completely bound to the cuffs. She helped him get up on his feet, escorting him to the vehicle with one hand on his back and the other holding the remaining pieces of the evidence.

Blake muttered as Katy seated him in the back of the car, closing the passenger door and heading to the driver's seat. Blake looked around, seeing he's just a barrier away from killing the enforcer. She started the engine and began to drive.

-" _Fucking cops._ "- He said with an intimidating look at Katy's face, if he wasn't cuffed and his weapons weren't confiscated he would have been able to finish her off. He later starts to mock her by cursing and yelling through the barrier.

-" ** _Will you shut the hell up?!_** "-She looked back and yelled at him, turning her face quickly to the road ahead. Despite yelling at his aggressively, she felt a little sorry for the injured crook. A little feeling of mercy and forgiveness started to develop in her mind.

-"Look...-"He calmed down. -"I know you're gonna arrest me but hey cut me some slack! I'm injured as fuck! I can barely feel my leg-"

-" ** _I SAID SHUT UP!_** "- She snapped, stopping the car, making Blake's head move forward and get a heavy hit oh the barrier. She then continued to drive, trying to deny that she had mercy for this crook. After driving for a while she finally lets her feelings control this time, driving to the poor district area- where a clinic for people like Blake would go to get medical attention. She was one of the only cops who supported the idea of having a clinic for the needy, so just like those supporters- she doesn't bother with taking this illegal business down.

-"There we go... _Finally._ "-He said with a slight smile on his face, knowing that his friend isn't too far away to fix him up. Katy then stopped the car near the clinic.

-"Consider having a rather _lucky_ day, I don't usually do this to anyone... And if I see your criminal ass on a mission again, I won't hesitate to **_kill you_**. I'll make sure you'll rot in prison if I ever catch you again."-She said with a frown, getting off the driver's seat and walking to open the door for Blake and releasing him from the handcuffs.

He frowned in response. -" ** _How the fuck is this my lucky day?!_** " As he yelled at her once she released him she didn't reply. Getting back into her seat and driving away, leaving dust on Blake's pants as the tires rubbed quickly through the dirty road.

 

Blake walked inside, to the criminal's local first aid doctor. He wasn't much but was the only one who would care enough for these low life rule breakers. His name was Rico Delao, despite his low reputation around the city on the civilian side, on the other rule breaking one he fits right in. 

-"I can see you had _quite_ the job this evening. The usual as always?"-Rico said to Blake when seeing him entering the clinic.

-"Yep, launched bullets...This time in my leg and upper chest. Sorry to come in late before the end of your shift but I think you see exactly why I got here."-He said, pointing the bleeding wounds with his hands.

-"Lay down on the operating bed and I'll get right into it."-Rico said, putting on his operating clothes and directing Blake to the bed. -"You still coming to that party? I heard it's gonna be sick! I thought of going but I'm then I remembered I'm not a Blood rose."-He joked. Despite Rico not being related to a criminal gang, he still gets to hear and know passing by rumors and secrets from his costumers.

He always sees and takes care of injured criminals and the poor folk on a daily basis. The clinic itself looked rather poor looking, not the best in shape yet the only clinic that accepts high ranked criminals and people who cannot afford the expensive medical bills. It's a constant danger to work in an unlicensed clinic, but Rico always comes prepared with a shotgun hidden under his desk in case of any intruders or inspectors.

Rico began the procedure. Giving Blake an anesthetic- making him fall asleep in a matter of seconds. As soon as he fell into a deep sleep Rico could start making an incision around the bullet holes. The process for one unauthorized doctor was very rough, yet after two hours of hard work, all of the bullets have been successfully removed. In his first years of becoming a doctor he had cases where he lost his patients due to inexperience and lack of staff members, yet as those years passed he learned how to work by himself.

Rico stitched back the sliced skin and waited for Blake to wake up from the anesthetic.

 


	10. Natalie

-"Wake up sleeping beauty"-Rico said, poking Blake's head with his finger from boredom.

-"I'm awake _prince charming_."-Blake chuckled, getting up from the bed.

-"You were _**this**_   close to breaking your leg, those bullets got in your skin alright, but luckily for you they barely damaged the bone. So that means in other words, you can still walk and do your job as usual."-Rico said calmly, grabbing a cigarette from the counter and lighting it.

Just like Blake, Rico too liked the smell and feeling of the Tobacco in his lungs. -"By the way, was it just me or _a cop_ drove you here? I'm even surprised that woman didn't bother getting inside and arresting _me_."-Rico asked, inhaling the fumes and exhaling them through his nose.

-"She was _kind_ enough to drop me off here, she even gave me my guns back. She didn't even bother confiscating them as evidence, I _never_ saw a cop so...Sympathetic."-He admitted, crossing his arms as he leaned on the counter.

-"It's something you don't see every day, I think her name is Kate, Catherine, Something like that. I don't really remember, but I don't think it matters anyway."-Blake replied. -"Besides, she is still going to be my target, after hurting me and humiliating me in front of everyone at the HQ she deserves a lesson."-He added with a determined look in his eye.

-"You just gotta know when the target is weak, when it's vulnerable, and then **BAM** strike her dead! Though I have to admit though, she is kinda cute, trying to look all brave in front of me...Oh _P-lease_ no need to fake yourself madam."-He started to mock her, laughing out loud with Rico joining him.

-"Doesn't really matter right? You'll be able to take care of her like you did with Na-

" ** _DON'T_** you even **DARE** to say her name Rico!"-He outraged.-"I don't want to remember what happened that day, what happens with her stays with her. And as for that enforcer girl, I just need to find a moment when she is alone, defenseless and scared, then I could **STRIKE!** "-Blake added, he just didn't want _anyone_  to say that name, the guilt, the regret that happened that night must not happen again.

-"Where's your car by the way?"-Rico asked with curiosity, breathing heavily from Blake's sudden aggressive tone.

 -"Back at the port, but it doesn't matter anyway... That old piece of junk is no use to me anymore. It's too slow to get to any mission on time, not worth my time to get it back."-Blake sighed.

-"That sucks dude...What are you gonna do now?"-Rico asked

-"I'll do what I always do to get money. Rob, kill and do more missions until I get enough money for the car. Also there's the rent I gotta pay soon so the car isn't the only thing that needs money here."-He paused, moving on from the subject.-"Thanks for the treatment Ricz, I can't really pay you now but once I do get enough I'll pay the full price."

-"Nah, it's okay dude I got your back. Do you need a ride home by any chance? my shift is over and I'm just about to go home."-Rico asked Blake while getting the clinic closed.

-"I'll just walk home, sure my leg hurts but I've been through worse. It was luck that made me walk tonight so I'll _celebrate_ by walking."-Blake said with a calm tone, he got out of the small clinic and started to walk towards the financial district.

 

 Meanwhile, Katy was driving to the SPPD. She suddenly received a message from Jessie in the police radio.

 

-"The coast is clear, did you deliver the items?"

-"Yes, they are now in good hands, are you guys okay over there?"-Katy replied with a worried tone while driving towards the station.

-"Yeah, a big part of those scrubs got killed, arrested and some just gave in or ran away like a bunch of cowards. We did lose 2 of our members during the gun fight due to blood loss...And well basically death by lead bullets. I also heard some gun shots from where you left to, was everything okay back there?"-Jessie said to Katy, while going with the remaining team that managed to deal with the injuries.

-"Yep, the usual. Some random guy with a machine gun attacked while I was taking the evidence to the police car. He has been stopped and I'm on my way to deliver them to the SPPD."-Katy smiled, looking at the evidence pieces on the front seat. She felt proud, thanks to her the remaining criminals will be sent to justice with the evidence as proof.

-"Did you kill that maniac?"-Jessie laughed.

-"Nah I let him out with a warning, he looked more like a scared child than an actual Bloodrose member."-Katy replied. -"He didn't seem like much of a threat anyway."-She added.

-"Well goodnight, I'm heading home with the other guys."-Jessie said, leaving the signal and heading home.

Katy got inside, going to the evidence locker and placing the evidence she got from the mission in a small basket labeled- TBI=To Be Investigated. Since the evidence hasn't been checked by the forensics team it's left there until they will be able to.

She walked around the station, seeing that most of the enforcers left and the remaining worked in the office area. Suddenly she saw the bulletin board, showing this month's memorial for enforcer who died. Each enforcer had a different year bellow their photo, but one caught Katy's eye.

**NAME- NATALIE HUNT**

**OCCUPATION- FORMER SPY**

**DIED AT- 17.9.10**

**CAUSE OF DEATH- DEATH BY GUNSHOT**

**CULPRIT-JOE MOORE (SOLVED)**

 

-"Solved?"-Katy said quietly. She then noticed the lines bellow.

-"JOE MOORE was accused of murdering NATALIE HUNT and throwing her body into the water to hide it."-She read the text bellow Natalie's image, wondering who's this Joe the memorial photo mentioned. She went to the suspect listing room, where all the names and photos of arrested criminals are sent to and kept in a wide selection of folders. After searching around, she finally found Joe's folder.

**_Name: Joe Moore_ **

**_Accused of Murder, Theft, and Arson_ **

**_Located at the San Paro Maximum Security Prison_ **

**_Release date= 21.8.25_ **

**_Affiliated gang: Blood Roses_ **

-"Looks like this guy has a lot of time left."-She said to herself, looking at Joe's folder curiously. -"Maybe I should see If I can get any answers from him."-She added, placing the folder back to its location and heading to the reception phone. She called the SPMSP quarters to see if she can visit Joe and ask him a few questions.

-"You may visit him, but only for 30 minutes, lights are out soon. This is for investigation purposes?"-The man at the phone asked Katy.

-"Yes, I want to know what he did in full detail."-She replied. Once receiving the positive answer, she went to her car and drove there.

 

She arrived. greeted by the guards and checked before getting into the visiting room to speak with Joe. One of the guards let Joe in from the other side of the glass panel, Joe taking a seat and the guard standing beside the door.

 

-"Who are you and what do you want from me?"-Joe asked with a frown, he wasn't the friendly type nor the guy who likes to speak to enforcers that much.

-"I came here to find out about your case with Natalie Hunt, is it true that you killed her?"-Katy asked.

"I didn't. You idiot cops thought I did, my so called friend did it and blamed it on me! He framed me so he could be free for a few extra years.."-Joe angered, looking at Katy with a serious expression on his face.

-"Who is that friend of yours?"-She asked, taking a small notepad from her pocket and writing down the details.

-"His name was Blake Price. A machine gunner with the ego and enthusiasm of a top star celebrity, but trust me he isn't even close to one. A lousy mid-rank like him will never touch the floor of the high ranked luxury."-Joe answered.

The mentioning of a machine gun made her remember, about the man she encountered at the port, not to mention the familiar ego.-"Did he happen to have a scar on his left eye, blue spiky hair and bright purple eyes?"-She asked.

-"As a matter of fact, yeah, he does. Let me guess, he's still out there eh? Pssh I thought he killed himself already, what a shame."-Joe smirked. -"So I guess you also want to know what happened that night?"-He asked her. She nodded and waited for him to begin telling what really happened.

-"Hmm...Yeah I remember what happened that day."-The prisoner straightened his back, getting more comfortable. 

-"Blake and Natalie were together officially and everyone in the criminal gangs knew it, according to her fake ID she was one of the most well known criminals at the time, the actual person though...She is probably dead or in prison for life."-He then sighed. -"I don't quite remember if it was Blake who first hit on her or Natalie did, but whatever."

-"A few days before her murder one of our guys notified Blake about Natalie being a spy. He was given an order to kill her. You should've seen him that day, he was so angry and confused, in temporary denial that his girlfriend was innocent."-He laughed.

-"On the night of the murder the two love birds went to a local restaurant for a simple date. It was just like any other date they had. Once they finished eating, they walked to the port-side."

-"Natalie looked at the night sky while Blake slipped out a pistol from his back pocket. She noticed his movement, but when she tried to turn around, she got shot three times, killed her instantly."

Just hearing about it, made Katy mouth the word 'Ouch', from thinking about the pain that would cause.

-"Were there any witnesses?"

-"No, nobody was outside except for them and me. Besides, he used a silenced pistol so no firing was heard.

-"She fell down, Blake lifted her and dumped her body to the ocean, so no evidence will be ever found. The rest I didn't get to see because I hid most of the time, I couldn't get a risk getting caught by that monster."-

Katy sat in place, her eyes shrunk in terror, how can a man like that still be on the loose?

-"In the next morning the enforcers found her remains, but they didn't arrest Blake. Oh no...They arrested **_ME!_** "- As Joe was speaking he got closer to the glass, he started to shout out loud. 

Joe was framed, as Blake did his best to lead the evidence to him as much as possible, leaving no tracks behind. As he got arrested, the police also found out about his previous crimes, adding to his prison sentence.

-" **THAT ASSHOLE SCREWED ME OVER, HE LEFT ME HERE TO ROT AND THE POLICE DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO INVESTIGATE.** _They blamed it all on me._ "-Joe raged, the guards took him from his seat and ordered Katy to leave- _the visiting time was over_.

 


	11. Let's see it burn

-"Well that was  _i_ _nteresting_ , but at least I got to know more about that man from before."-Katy thought to herself as the guards escorted her out of the visiting area to the exit. -"Next time he won't be so lucky, his past doesn't scare me."-She added, getting in her car and driving back home. She had a lot of self confidence and determination in killing and catching the bad guys, it was her father's job and she wanted to be just like him ever since she was a little girl.

Despite her acts of courage she had moments in her life when she just broke down, couldn't face the situation and even let her emotions take over. But those weak spots she tends to hide from criminals and even her own co-workers, she denied her fear in many cases.

 

 

Blake noticed Katy's car pass beside him, he frowned, taking a small pebble from the sidewalk and threw it. The pebble hit the back of the car, leaving a minor scratch on it.

-"That bitch will _pay_ for hurting me. I don't care for her sympathy, she needs to learn a lesson."-He said to himself, continuing to walk. -"Ugh..."-He grunted. -"I wish I had some cash on me, if only I didn't spend all of it on food."-He then added, seeing numerous cabs passing him, he felt weak but he had no other choice but to walk by foot.

After a while he finally got back home, exhausted with only one thing on his mind, sleep.

He opened the door and closed it once getting inside, limping to his bedroom and throwing himself onto the mattress. He felt pain in his upper body and legs once coming into contact with his bed, but he had to deal with it for the rest of the night. Once taking a few deep breathes and moving around the mattress he finally fell asleep.

 

 Katy parked her car next to the apartment building and took the elevator to her floor. Once she got inside, her gray cat nicknamed Mr. Fluff greeted her with a soft purr, it meowed and followed her steps as she moved around.

Her apartment wasn't any fancier than Blake's,  it had the same size but not the same environment. It was a basic bachelor apartment with only one bedroom, a small kitchen and a medium sized living room. She removed her work vest and hanged it on her door, taking off her shoes and heading to take a warm bath before bed.

 

**_5:00 AM-Blake's place_ **

 

Blake woke up, hearing his phone vibrating and beeping. He got up and picked up the phone. It was Strega Blood rose, one of the many contacts in the Blood Roses.

-"Sorry for the late call, but I'm here to tell you that you'll only be getting half of what you should've earned. I've heard that you almost got arrested, and you didn't kill the target, so the only sum I could give you is around 100 bucks."-She said to Blake through the phone.

-" **WHAT?!** No.. ** _You gotta be kidding!_** This isn't enough for my bills! How the hell will I pay my rent?!"-He shouted, angered at the outrageous sum of money.

-"It's _your fault_ , not mine. Don't blame me for your failure, next time try harder. You think the elites give up?! No, they don't! Then stop acting like a helpless person, you're mid rank and you can always get the money back."-She angered, hanging up the call.

Blake threw his phone on the wall from anger. -"For fucks sake..."-He muttered, picking up his phone and saw the shattered screen. A message popped up shortly after the call, giving Blake another mission to do. Even at this early, criminals would rather get money than rest.

-"Burn targets on the following streets."-After the message a list of 5 different locations came up, each in separate areas of the city, mostly the downtown district. Blake sighed, getting up and wiping his face, he was still tired but it's either sleep or house eviction, you can guess which option he took. He went to kitchen and brewed himself some coffee, feeling a little dizzy from his lack of sleep.

He added a few extra spoons of coffee with no sugar, adding heated water and mixing the raw coffee powder with a plastic spoon. He reached to the freezer to see if there are any remaining ice-cubes, in cases where he forgets to fill water into the ice tray he just scratches the ice off the shelves and uses it to cool his beverages. It was disgusting but he did this almost all the time.

The coffee didn't cool as much as he expected it to, so he just tried to gulp all of it quickly. Usually, arson missions are done before sunrise, so timing is key. He then felt a slight headache but chose to ignore it. He loaded his ALIG and strapped it on his back, with a pistol holstered in his pocket just in case.

-"How the fuck will I get there on time.."-He asked himself, leaving the apartment and going downstairs.

 

A black van waited for him in the parking lot, 4 other men inside armed with weapons and a few bottles of gasoline to make sure the target stays burnt until nothing is left. One of them was a high ranked criminal, the other men kept looking at him and whispering about his odd presence. In a mid ranked mission. It's considered absurd for a high ranked criminal to partake in such a cheap tasks, not to mention these kinds of people must be saved for more dangerous missions since they have the most experience on the battlefield.

He ignored the random sayings about him, he liked doing his job regardless of which rank the mission is. Blake was surprised to see a van waiting for him, he got in and received a handshake from the mysterious high ranked criminal. -"I'm Blake, you?"-He asked the man.

-"..."-The man didn't say a word, he barely spoke and didn't want anyone to know his name.

-"It's best if you don't ask, he won't answer."-One criminal added, he closed the door and signaled the van driver to start driving. As the van moved one of the criminals presented a map of the city with 5 markings, their arson targets. Blake took a gander at the map, he felt his head pounding heavily as the van tossed him around.

 **-"God, I feel like I'm gonna vomit."-** He said to himself.

-"You."-One of the men pointed at Blake. -"You'll get dropped off here, once you get there you take this gasoline bottle and a lighter and-"-The man stopped for a second.-" Wait. I don't think I need to remind you what to do with those things right?"-He asked Blake. He nodded in response. -"Good, you'll be with this hotshot here."-He added. -"Just because he's high rank doesn't mean he gets special treatment at missions, he decided to come here, and he gets the same tasks as we do."- The criminal looked at the high ranked man with a smirk.

-"Wait, are you gonna come back and pick me up once I'm done?"-Blake asked the driver.

-"Pff, seriously?"-He said mockingly. -"Nah. You just either find a cab or get out of there with no evidence left, you don't wanna get caught do you?"-The driver answered.  

Suddenly, one of the men whispered something to him. -"Oh yeah I almost forgot, you were one of **_those_** guys. I bet it was fucking expensive to afford _that_ kind of service."-The driver corrected, turning around for a second to look at Blake.

-"It wasn't cheap, but it'll keep me safe."-Blake replied with a calm tone. Not many criminals could afford the type of service he purchased, a service that guaranteed protection.

-"Don't be so sure kid, I had a friend who worked here for 10 years. One day he got caught by the SPPD because he didn't pay attention to his actions, and his taxes. Now he's sitting in prison for 20 years with little chance of parole."-The high ranked criminal noted Blake.

Blake sighed, noticing the van slowly stopping at his drop off point. It was a small abandoned building located near the poor district, he raised his brow upon seeing the odd location. -"Why am I being sent here? This place is almost empty"-Blake asked, opening the van door and scouting the area with his eyes.

-"You need to  in that building and pour the gasoline from the inside. The cops will probably think it was an accident or something, these kind of buildings often hide explosives that can blow up any minute."-One of the men replied to Blake. -"Once you done pouring it around, get outta there and throw a match to ignite it."-The man added.

-"This building has some criminal intel left from the early 2000's, nobody touched it because barely anyone knew of it's existence. If it gets to the wrong hands the cops can find out the basics of our foundations and will try to get us from the inside. Just to make sure nothing is left, you need to pour as much gasoline as you can. Then get the hell out of there."-The man said, giving Blake the gasoline and a pack of matches to do the job.

He then let Blake off the van, driving away from the scene quickly.

Blake put the bottle of gasoline on the side so he could place the small pack of matches in his pocket. He then grabbed the slightly heavy bottle and walked inside.

The building was surrounded by a wire fence, with a sign saying "PRIVATE PROPERTY, ENTRY IS PROHIBITED."- The sign was covered in graffiti and bullet holes. Blake got inside by crawling under a broken area of the fence, he grunted once feeling the wire cutting his arms and legs slightly. He ignored the scratches on his clothes and moved inside, the door was full of bullet holes and planks covering most of it.

Blake kicked it open and the door fell down, revealing boxes and old computers covered in black cloths inside. A sense of intrigue flowed through his mind as he explored the area, the two floors of the building had many kinds of furniture and documents scattered around. Blake placed the gasoline bottle on one of the dusty desks, he pulled a small document from the drawer under the desk.

It contained exact detailed plans of the Blood roses on how to take over San Paro. with the help of their rivaling gang the G-kings. Yet based on the date it was written, the plan never went anywhere, it was written over 10 years ago. Only in the early days The G-Kings and Blood Roses had an alliance, but now they are separate gangs with their own agendas. Despite the old plan, it is still information that shouldn't be seen by anyone, especially the SPPD. 

-" **Damn, no wonder I got sent here, this is some important shit."-** He said to himself, putting the document back before taking the bottle and pouring the gasoline on the floor.

He made a trail of gasoline from the first to the second floor till the entrance area, stepping back from the building and lighting a match. He took a gander at it for a few seconds before throwing it on the ground.

Once it fell down the fire ignited and burned everything in its path. Before fleeing he decided to look at the building getting burned to the ground, standing a few meters away from it. The flames glowed in his purple eyes, he smirked upon seeing the smoke and flames reaching higher levels.

-"I could stare at this all day..."-He said to himself quietly. -"But I can't stay here for too long."-He added, turning his back and fleeing from the site. Once getting away from the crime scene he started to calmly walk back to the HQ by foot, it was still early in the morning and barely anyone was still awake in the neighborhood at the time to notice the sudden fire.

After strolling the city back to the HQ, Byron met him at the entrance, covered in confetti and stains of various drinks.

-"Such a shame you missed the party Blake, there were some beautiful chicks asking for you."-Byron teased him, he knew that Blake was too busy to attend it, yet still mentioned the party to piss him off a little.

-"Well, once those girls find out what I did in to my exes they'd probably run away and call me a heartless bastard."-Blake sighed, leaning on the entrance door.

-"You got a smoke on you and a light by any chance? I think I forgot mine at home"-He asked Byron, checking his pockets only to find a pistol with an extra magazine, his phone, keys and his wallet-empty as always.

-"Yeah here, I got some for 'ya."-Byron smirked, taking out a cigarette and a lighter from his front pockets, giving the cigarette to Blake and lit it once he put it in his mouth. Blake inhaled the fumes and exhaled them calmly.

-"Thanks, that's just what I needed."-Blake replied, stretching himself and cleaning the traces of ash and smoke from his shoulders. -"The usual arson missions, always mess up your clothes no matter what."-Blake added, showing Byron the cuts from the wire fence on his clothes.

-"Did you get rid of her? The enforcer chick you met."-Byron asked him, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it to smoke.

-"She nearly arrested me. But then for no damn reason instead of sending me to the SPPD she just pulled over at Rico's place and gave back all of the stuff she confiscated from me. I have no clue _why_ she did it, maybe I caught her in a good mood last night, either way I'll still kill her when the time comes."-Blake replied, throwing the cigarette on the pavement and stepping on it with his shoe.

-"When the time comes? Why don't you just finish her off and that's it? Are you even the same Blake from 7 years ago? Don't tell me you gained some kind of _interest_  to that cop, if so then you're a lost cause..."

-"I don't know jack shit about her, what makes you think I can just barge in and kill her? I wish I could but I barely even know her name. And no, why would I show _any_ kind of sympathy for the same people who killed my friends in the past and ruined my life? The only thing the cops deserve is a bullet to the head."-Blake replied angrily. -"Natalie taught me the best, **_never trust a cop, never love one and never negotiate with one._** "-He added, looking down and having a flashback of what he did to Natalie that night 3 years ago.

-"Very well, just do whatever you can to kill her. Once you do it successfully I will consider to promoting you a little, of course if you can impress me. If you're serious about killing her, _prove it to me._ "-Byron replied, smirking at Blake and walking back in the HQ. -"Oh and another thing, your payment for the arson mission has been added to your account."-Byron added before closing the door.

He smiled upon hearing about the payment, hoping that he'll get enough to pay the rest and supply himself with better food. He walked to an ATM behind the HQ, unlike other ATMs scattered around San Paro, this one was specific for Blood rose members. Every criminal who joins on the first day receives a bank account depending on his or her gang, only the G kings and the Blood roses actually own their own bank and vaults for their members. Once a criminal completes or fails a mission, the money is transferred to his or her account and the criminal can withdraw money at any given moment. Of course this is one of the only ATMs criminals can use, the rest won't work with criminal ID cards.

Blake took out his criminal card and passed it through the scanning area, after a few seconds the ATM recognized Blake's card and gave him the option to view or withdraw the money from his account:

**_CURRENTLY IN VAULT: 1530.46$_ **

**_WITHDRAWAL_ ** **_OPTIONS:_ **

**_-WITHDRAW 5$_ **

**_-WITHDRAW 50$_ **

**_-WITHDRAW 100$_ **

**_-WITHDRAW 200$_ **

**_-WITHDRAW 1000$_ **

-"Holy shit, a thousand bucks?! Well then..I didn't expect that much from that arson. 'Guess those files were really _that_ important. Now, let me check my history..."-Blake tapped on the View History button, it showed each crime committed with the sum of money given on the side. He scrolled down with his finger until he found the current arson mission.

**_\- ARSON: 1000$ GIVEN BY STREGA B._ **

- ** _"How generous of her..Unless that was the actual award money..._** "-He thought to himself. -" ** _I'll just withdraw 50$ for now, take a cab home...Unless I have anything else to do._** "-Before withdrawing the money he pulled out his phone to check for any messages about missions, or any missed calls.

**_(0)- NO NEW MESSAGES_ **

-" _ **Thank god**_ , now I can go back to sleep."-He smiled, putting his phone back to his pocket and withdrawing 50$ from the ATM. Obviously that sum isn't just for a cab, he decided to keep the rest to buy some food and drinks when he can. -" ** _There's a gas station not too far from here, maybe I should buy some food first.._** "-He said to himself, looking at the road and seeing the station not too far from where he was standing.

 


	12. Not so fortunate

Blake walked to the gas station with his hands inside his pockets and an ALIG strapped on his back. He heard a few sirens in the distance and sighed. -" ** _It's been a while since I heard a police siren this early in the morning..._** "-He said to himself, smirking slightly. Upon entering the gas station Blake took a turn to the mini mart to get something to eat, he got greeted by the clerk, a young man with a newspaper covering his face.

-"Welcome to the mini mart."-He said, moving to the next page with his finger. As Blake walked around the isles the clerk took a gander at him, he shook from noticing the ALIG strapped to his back. Blake ignored the clerk's staring and took a few groceries from the shelves, holding them with his right arm. Once he got everything he needed he walked back to the clerk to pay for his purchase.

-"Look, I don't want any trouble, if you want the money go ahead and take it. I-I swear I won't call the cops!"-The clerk shook with fear once more, dropping the newspaper and rushing to get some bills out of the cash register.

-"I just came here for the food, I don't  _need_  your damn money."-Blake sighed, placing the groceries on the clerk's table. He started to feel a little dizzy, the need to sleep kicked in and he nearly slipped once seeing the entire store move around him.

-"A-are you okay sir?"-The clerk worried, passing the groceries through the scanner, noticing Blake's dizziness.-"I could order you a cab if you'd like, you don't look so good to walk home sir."-The clerk added, helping him get up.

-"That would be great, thanks."-Blake said, getting up and holding his head from the dizziness. 

-"It's alright, I'll call a cab to pick you up from here, it shouldn't take long."-The clerk replied, taking out his phone and calling a taxi service. Blake felt relieved that the guy didn't panic instantly and called the cops, not to mention it was rare for a simple civilian to help a criminal in any kind of situation.

Several minutes passed, Blake paid for the food and leaned on the register, waiting for the taxi to show up. As the minutes passed he felt his head pounding from lack of sleep, those minutes felt like long agonizing hours that didn't seem to end.

-"How long do I have to wait? I feel like I'm gonna pass out any minute."-He whispered to himself, looking at the clerk reading the newspaper again. Blake saw the front page and noticed the big title:" ** _G king attempted to run over government official_** ".

G-kings, the kings of the road, loved to use their cars and vans to run over cops and innocent people for the heck of it, though their targets are usually politicians. Unlike the money loving Blood roses, the G-kings cared more about cars and car parts of many sorts, rumors say that they are currently holding the largest stash of stolen cars and car parts.

Blake looked at the window and saw the taxi from the distance. -"About damn time."-He said, getting off the register and picking up his groceries with a plastic bag.

-"Thanks for shopping at the mini mart, please come again."-The clerk added, turning another page on the newspaper. -"No need to thank me, even criminals deserve a little help."-The clerk added as he continued to read through the newspaper, Blake smiled as he heard the clerk, walking out of the mini mart and to the taxi outside.

 

-"Took you long enough."-Blake said.

-"Ahem."-The driver paused. -"No weapons inside the car, put them in the trunk."-The driver opened the window and noted him.

-"How come?"-Blake said, slightly angry.

-"New policy rules, you think I'm _that dumb_ to let a criminal sit next to me with a gun? This cab doesn't move 'till all of your fire arms are in the trunk. Don't try and fool me as well, I won't hesitate to hurt you back. Now put those guns of yours back in the trunk or I'll just leave you here."-The driver answered, locking the car doors, not letting him in until all of his guns are in the trunk.

-"Fine, fine... _Jesus_."-Blake frowned, walking to the back of the cab and placing the pistol and ALIG in the trunk. -"Fucking policies.. ** _Can't I just take a cab without this bullcrap?_** "-He added.

-"I heard that. You better shut your mouth before I drive away from here."-The driver replied by yelling at Blake.

Blake sighed, closing the trunk and sitting in the back. -"To Canal street, make it snappy."-The driver nodded upon Blake's request and began to drive to the location. He kept looking at Blake's sitting position. His legs were spread lazily and the rest of his body stretched forward. He hated it when people sit like that in the back. -"Can't you just sit like a human being?"

-"I don't tell _you_ how to drive, don't tell _me_ how to sit."-Blake angered, flipping the driver off with his middle finger and relaxing in the back of the cab, grunting as he turned his head around. He felt his neck snapping slightly as his head moved, stretching the rest of his body and hearing more snapping noises.

-"We're here, that'll be 15 dollars."-The driver said, stopping at Blake's destination.

-"15?! Why?"-Blake replied, raising his brow.

-"Criminals pay extra now, also part of the new policy. Don't like it, don't use our services, plus your annoying behavior pisses me off."-The driver replied, reaching his hand to Blake to receive the money. Blake sighed, taking 15 dollars from his wallet and giving it to the driver, leaving the cab and walking to the apartment building.

 

**10:00 AM- SAN PARO POLICE DEPARTMENT**

 

 

Katy reported to work, noticing that as soon as the station opened to the public people started to rush in. Typical day in the SPPD, citizens come in daily to report in sights of criminal activity to make sure those crooks stay behind bars for a change. She had a struggle moving to her office as many started to push between the lines and the station quickly became cramped. Before finally getting a chance to sit down, Jessie called her from the other side of the station, she was standing next to the break room with a cup of water in her hands.

-"These criminals never stop popping up on the radar lately, those lines are the proof."-Jessie said once she greeted Katy with a smile. -"But hey, more criminals mean more jobs for us, so I'm not complaining."-Jessie added, smirking and sipping some water.

-"They deserve it, if they don't want to get caught and killed they shouldn't have joined a gang in the first place."-Katy replied.

-"Yep. It's a shame you didn't kill that guy from last night, it would have got you some extra money in your pocket."

-"Like always, he was weak, unable to realize that this is the real deal. Next time I won't be so merciful to him, even I have my limits to sympathy."-She angered, looking down with her arms crossed.

-"Well next time you could either arrest him and get a little extra cash out of it, or just end his life on the spot during a mission. It's not like criminals _really_ have anything to live for except for money."-Jessie chuckled, Katy looked at her and smiled upon hearing her words. She then waved Jessie goodbye and left.

Katy decided to check on the bulletin board for any possible side missions she could do before getting called again. Most of the board was covered in "Wanted" posters  and other events in the past month, nothing really caught up on her eye.

-"I hoped for something good today, oh well... I guess this is going to be a rough week."-She muttered, still trying to find some kind of work to do.-"Hmm, I wonder if this guy ever appeared on the Wanted section."-She added, looking at the photos of various criminals still on the loose, none looked like the man she met last night. -"Strange, I always thought the crazy people end up here, no sign of that guy."-She said to herself, wondering how come he wasn't on the Wanted list.

Suddenly, she heard a mission call from the speakers above her, she smiled upon hearing the call. **Finally some work** \- She said to herself, waiting to hear what is it this time.

-"An arson has been reported on the downtown area, report there immediately to investigate the scene."-As soon as Katy fully heard the message she rushed to her car alongside other enforcers going to theirs as well. Sure it wasn't the combat missions Katy is so proud doing , but after all these kinds of tasks always show up.

 

The enforcers arrived at the scene, later getting reports that the Arson in fact was in multiple areas in the district and not just this one. Katy got out of the car and noticed the completely burnt building, only the basic foundations of it still remained, but in a poor state. She noticed the wired fence surrounding the structure, most of it got slightly bent as it got into contact with the embers.

The forensic team took their equipment and went inside to check it out, Katy followed them out of curiosity, seeing how the remaining enforcers covered any possible access points, to make sure the public won't dare to explore it. As she walked in, she noticed how the ground was covered with ashes, almost all of the objects that were inside the building were unrecognizable.

-"Why would someone just burn down this building for no reason, this doesn't look like it had anything important before it got burned down."-She said, looking around and noticing more traces of ashes and scorch marks on the walls.

-"Apparently the locals who live in this neighborhood claim this was an accident, but there are no signs of any specific appliances that would burn this entire building. Could be criminals again, let's hope they left some small traces of DNA somewhere."-One enforcer replied to Katy, covering his hands with white gloves and checking around the first floor. -"Why don't you try visiting the other targets, maybe they need your help over there, for now everything seems safe enough."-The enforcer added, turning around as soon as he finished talking, to make sure he didn't miss any important details.

Katy sighed, she usually preferred a little more action during her missions but it seemed like the seconds passed like hours, nothing unusual- just a regular task for an Enforcer. With no other choice, she drove to the other locations of the arson, hopefully to find something exciting. Once stopping the car near the other location, she noticed how most of the team was already packing and finishing the investigation. She got out of the car and walked to one of the forensic investigators to get some answers.

-"You're done already?!"-She said in a surprised tone, seeing how the rest are already leaving the scene.

-"Yep, we found the needed clues. Some idiot forgot his gun, with his fingerprints on it, the only _interesting_ piece of evidence here. Judging by the looks of the gun, it was most likely a high ranked criminal, I never thought I'd get to see such a dumb move, but it's his problem now."-The forensic enforcer replied, mocking the criminal and even laughing about it a little.

-"So.. Is there _anything_ I need to protect? I got sent here, but I can see nothing is left."-Katy asked, disappointed.

-"Nope, I doubt the rest will need your help. Hate to burst your bubble, but I think they sent you here for no reason really, sure we _expected_ some crazy psycho to stop us on the way, but I guess it's just a simple arson and nothing more."

-"Crap, I guess I'll just go back to the station now. Unless the others need my help?"

-"I doubt it, I guess it was just a false alarm, have a nice day ma'am."-The enforcer tipped his hat gently, walking to his car and driving away.

 

Katy let out a deep sigh, seeing how everyone left and the only thing surrounding the scene was the bright yellow police tape. With no other choice, she returned to her vehicle and drove back to the SPPD HQ.

-"Just by looking at you I can see you had a shitty job today."-Jessie said, seeing how Katy's brows lowered and her smile gone.

-"Yeah, good guess there. I can't believe I got there for no reason, sure the building looked kinda interesting, but other than that I didn't do anything."

-"Did they catch someone?"

-"The only thing they caught was a few pieces of evidence, another guy's going to prison this week."

-"One less criminal in the outside world."

-"Wait. Didn't you get sent somewhere today?"

-"I came back a few minutes ago. It was a delivery missions with a little criminal interruption but nothing too serious."-Jessie sighed, cleaning off remaining pieces of rubble off her shoulders.

-"God this is gonna be a dry week. I want to find that guy from before, and get him behind bars before he commits more reckless crimes."

-"You **could** do it solo, but I wouldn't suggest it. It don't matter how much you _think_ you can beat him alone, every criminal has a trick up his sleeve. I ended up losing some good friends, thinking they are such hotshots who can kill anyone in their way. No offense Katy, but both of us know that you can't just go there and beat him by yourself."-Jessie looked at Katy with a serious expression, the last thing she wanted was to lose another friend to a criminal. -"Just be a little careful."-She gave Katy a small pat on the head.

-"I'll go check for some other missions, maybe I'm gonna be lucky this time"- Katy walked to the bulletin board to hopefully find something useful.

Throughout her day Katy successfully finished 5 missions, 3 of them being with criminals and the other two were easy ones. Despite her 3 encounters with a random bunch of crooks, the same man she met before wasn't present there. 5 Might sound like a small number, but in fact, it's a very average amount of missions an enforcer might get per day. Each lasting from one hour to even three or four depending on the situation. It's pretty much a similar system to the criminal's way, however, Enforcers get paid the same wage and not a random number like most criminals earn per day.

 

Meanwhile, Blake was about to finish helping some of his teammates in delivering some illegal goods from the port, a new shipment arrived and as always, someone needs to pick it up. It wasn't as easy as it might seem, the goods were heavy and very fragile, if a Bloodrose ends up having butter fingers, he'll pay for the broken item with his own salary.

-"How much we getting for 'dis again?"-One of them asked, lifting a huge box and loading it into a truck.

-"I'd say about 100 dollars per box, unless one of you scrubs will break it."-Blake said, mocking his team and teasing them a little. Typical Blake-ish behavior.

-"Oi fuck that, if one of 'em breaks I ain't paying for it. I gots more important stuff to spend 'dis money on."

-"On what? Hookers and beer?"-Blake laughed, the rest followed his laughter as they finished placing the remaining boxes in the truck.

-"Shut up asshole, ye acting like everything was served on a goddamn silver platter for ya, even if that's not true. Not by one bit it ain't. Ye were born as poor as anyone here, and ye still act like life is a goddamn fairy tale."

-"Or instead of getting angry like a little kid, learn to take a goddamn joke for once."-Blake continued to mock his teammate.-"Don't make me put a bullet between that empty shell you call a head."- Blake stepped forward and aimed a pistol on the man's head.

-"Is that the best you got? I've met children who are scarier than you!"-He mocked Blake back.

-"Hey stop fighting you two, we gotta deliver these goods. I hope you idiots didn't forget about it."-Another teammate interrupted the two, separating them from each other and shoving them to finish with the job.

 

Minutes after the team finished with the final touches, they headed back to the HQ and parked the truck in the underground parking lot.

 

-"I hope you didn't leave even a single scratch on what's inside."-Byron looked at the team of criminals and frowned lightly.

-"If anything does, I'm sure Blake will _gladly_ volunteer to pay it back with his own paycheck."-The man from before stepped ahead.

-" _Rodney Nelson_ , I thought you died yesterday."-Byron examined the man who stood in front of him.

-"Shoot. I pretended to die to make sure the cops wouldn't arrest me, I _almost_ got caught last time too."-Rodney added.

-"Gee I wonder why."-Blake grunted, letting out a small laugh. -"He's weak as a stick, no cop would spend his energy on this little damsel in distress."-He added.

-"Now now Blake. I have to admit Rodney had his point back there, I'm sure _you_ want to pay for any damages I'll find on the goods. And to think I considered promoting you, so much you need to learn..."-Byron smirked. -"Just to be sure that your lesson is learned, I'll be taking 100$ from your criminal account whether you like it or not. I hope you understand why I'm doing this."

-"B-But you don't even know if the goods are broken, what if they are fine?!"

-"Doesn't matter. Your money belongs to me one way or another when you think about it. Unfortunately for you, your paycheck will be affected this time, next time I won't be so merciful with how much money I take. We're criminals sure, but we still need to know basic manners now do we?"-Byron added, leaving the scene, teasing Blake with a 100$ dollar bill he had in his pocket.


	13. Criminal lessons

-"I hope you learned your lesson, keep your head down and everything will be alright for 'ya. 7 Years in the job and you keep forgetting your _real_ place, I don' think you even deserve your fancy mid-rank title."-Rodney gave Blake a mocking piece of advice, if there's anything he liked to do- is to piss off other criminals for their own flaws.

Rodney wasn't any different than Blake in terms of ranks, just by a slight difference in numbers, nor by his attitude towards others. Both believe they are good enough, despite having big flaws around them. The only difference was Rodney's joining date, he only joined around 2 years ago, yet he already knows most of Blake's past actions-the stories spread like wildfire.

-"Don't act like you're any better either..."-Blake muttered.

-"At least _I_ didn't get a 100$ penalty like **you** did, good luck getting that money back."-Rodney mocked Blake again, showing no kind of respect by spitting next to Blake's shoes. -"Here, I made 'ya some dinner"-Rodney chuckled gruffly.

Blake didn't respond, he just stood there with his brows lowered and his eyes staring at Rodney, seeing how he was leaving the area after spitting on the ground. Rodney, like many other criminals Blake met in his career, can act in a very brutal and a malicious way towards others with no sympathy. Of course if killing teammates wasn't against the rules of the gang, he would gladly do it to those same crooks. To criminals, violence is _always_ the solution.

Instead of pulling out a pistol and getting this whole mess over with, he just left the HQ and took another annoyingly expensive cab, policy rules and all. With many other strict rules being placed on criminals for using public services, life as an average low to mid ranked criminal is very hard in San Paro. But with all the difficulties, it can still be enjoyable if there's enough money, no wonder why high ranked criminals are happier. Money may not buy happiness for everyone, but it does the trick for the richest crooks in the city.

He obviously wanted some kind of revenge, but at the same time the consequences could lead him to getting in serious trouble with Rodney's little friends. He didn't know what kind of friends Rodney might have, they could be high ranked bad boys looking to punch anything with a face on it.

-"That asshole will pay for what he did..."-Blake frowned, walking upstairs to his apartment. The building as usual, was full of loud noises coming from neighboring doors- you can't expect silence in a place like that. He wished that he could make them shut up so he could think straight, he had to find a way to hurt Rodney in a way that won't risk his life. -"What if I...No, too risky. Maybe I could, no wait...Impossible without getting caught."-He kept thinking of a way, any way possible to hurt his enemy, it flew through his head the closer he got to the door.

Upon opening the door, a disgusting smell came from the kitchen.

-"Probably something's rotten again.."-Blake said to himself, covering his nose with his arm the closer he got to the smell's source. Turns out that the smell in fact came from the trashcan and not from the fridge, he tends to forget to take care of the house, committing crimes is a bigger priority than cleaning up after himself. He sighed, too tired to go downstairs again, he placed the trash bag on his doorstep and locked the door after himself.

 

It was getting darker, the sun slowly began to set and the city lights started to show their light in Blake's window, he sighed and covered it with the drapes, taking a seat on the old couch. The first thing he did once sitting down is checking for messages, to make sure he doesn't have to get up for later. -"Huh, nothing...That's new."-He scratched his head, rolled his eyes and carelessly threw the phone on the other side of the couch. The only thing he wanted to do now is get some sleep for once, who knows when's the next call gonna happen. He gently lowered his head to the side, hoping to get some shut eye.

Only after 2 peaceful hours, a vibration came from his phone, another mission to do. -"Just when I thought this day was gettin' better."-He opened his eyes, couldn't go back to sleep from the irritating vibration. -"Let's see what is it this time..."-He added, stretching his arms and seeing who is it.

-"Sorry if I 'woke' you up, but you got another job to do and this time it's a little different. I got some folks who forget to pay back my loan.-"He knew who it was from first glance, Byron was in charge of loans in the Bloodroses, and isn't too happy when his clients don't pay it back. He then swiped down with his finger to see the rest. -"Follow this address and make sure they get the message"-Once receiving the message another popped up, revealing the street name. The address lead to the shopping district of the city, a whole boulevard full of shops and hangout spots.

 -" ** _Looks like somebody forgot to pay back.._** "-Blake sighed, standing up and taking a pistol with him, for self protection. It's common for Byron's clients to lose a few screws and start shooting out of fear, but at the same time, the loan must be paid back anyway. Without a choice, he left immediately, since it wasn't really urgent he walked to the destination instead of spending his cash of those damn cabs again.

 

It was night time, the entire boulevard of the shopping district was crowded with people buying various trinkets and walking around with big plastic bags.

Luckily for him, the store he's about to visit was just about to close for the day, the only people inside were the owners, the couple who took the loan from Byron. It was a little hard walking past the people blocking his path, yet with a few pushes and dodges, it didn't take him long before being a few steps away from the shop.

-"Come on Josh let's go home already, nobody's gonna show up at this hour."-A female voice was heard from the store, Blake leaning on the door and listening to the conversation.

-"Hold on, you'll never know when's the costumer's coming, it could be any time now"-Another voice was heard. Blake decided to enter the store at the last minute.

-"You should listen to him, you'd never when a costumer shows up."-Blake smirked, entering the store, moving around the shelves and checking what is this couple selling. From what he could get, they just sell mere San Paro souvenirs for tourists and other small trinkets.

-"Oh crap!"-The man mouthed, getting nervous upon figuring out who Blake is and where he came from. -"Is this about the loan?"

-"Obviously, you think I'd spend my time shopping in this store, in the public eye? I may be a criminal, but I'm not stupid."-Blake frowned, walking to the owner, ready to pull a pistol to his face.

-"What loan?"-The woman heard the conversation, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

-"Oh don't tell me you kept this only to yourself... ** _Bra-vo_** 'Josh', good luck explaining to her where you got the money from too."-Blake smirked and gave a little clap, surprised to see how Josh even dared to keep this thing a secret.

-"I'll explain later dear."-Josh turned his face to her, he felt guilty yet he knew that it was the only option. She was still shocked, her eyes focusing on the pistol sticking out from Blake's pocket.

-"Enough chit-chat, just give me Byron's money and I'll be on my way."-Blake walked stopped the little moment the two seemed to be having.

-"You didn't say **_anything_** about a loan"-The woman whispered to Josh

-"I had no choice Alex, the bank didn't give me any money...So I had to turn to the criminals, it's the only way I could pay our bills."-Josh whispered back, feeling ashamed of his actions, yet it is the only thing he could have done.

-" ** _Ahem_**... Perhaps you didn't hear me."-Blake approached the whispering couple, taking out the pistol and revealing it.- " ** _Give. Me. Byron's. Money. Or else._** "-He angered, didn't have any time to play around with these two.

-"L-Look.. I know I have to pay it today but I just didn't earn enough yet, please give me at least another week."-Josh tried to convince the criminal.

-"I don't decide the loan dues, I only come to take the money back. If you want to extend the loan speak to Byron, but I doubt he'd approve it. Trust me, he doesn't like it when people don't pay on time. Do yourself and your female friend here a favor and pay now. You wouldn't want to come back here tomorrow with nothing to sell."-Blake replied, continuing to frown at the worried couple.

-"I can't believe you did this to us..."-Alex whispered to Josh, feeling terrible from discovering about this lie.

-"I didn't have a choice..."-Josh turned his head, looking at his wife with a shamed expression on his face. -"Please.. Can you help us here? Can you convince him to wait?"-He turned back to Blake, hoping for a positive answer.

-" ** _No can do_**. The only thing I can do now is report about _you_ not paying your loan. You and your girl don't know who you're messing with."

-"W-Wait since when am I part of this?"-Alex panicked.

-"He signed a contract before taking a loan, since you both are the current owners of this store, you're _both_ getting screwed. He used Byron's money to pay for the monthly bills of this place am I right? So, because he didn't pay it back, Byron has the right to take away anything valuable enough from this store to pay back the due. You should be feeling lucky, he sometimes ends up _killing_ the people who forget to pay."-Blake answered, pointing the pistol at Josh and moving it slowly to Alex as he finished talking. -"It's a shame it has to end like this, but it's the only option."-He added.

-"Maybe we should speak to this Byron guy then."-Alex turned her face to Josh.

-"Are you nuts?! Byron will rip me to shreds if he finds out I didn't pay today!"

-"What if you explain to him about this?"

-"I doubt that he'll even give a damn..."- Josh sighed, instead of fully giving up he decided to get to the safe in the store and give Blake whatever sum may be in there.

-"Here, it's not all of it, but that's how much I managed to earn, the rest I'll provide later I promise! I'll contact him tomorrow morning"-Josh said, giving Blake a small package containing the money.

-"If he hunts you down for this, I won't be responsible for your death."-Blake replied, taking the money and heading to the exit. Another mission has been done tonight.

 

Once getting out of the store he took a turn to the HQ, on the way he dialed up Byron's number to tell him what happened.

-"Did he give you the money?"-Byron asked.

-"Only half, the guy said he'll talk to you tomorrow morning about the rest."-Blake replied, on his way to the HQ with the money in his hands.

-"He better have a good excuse for this..."-Byron muttered. -"Come back to the HQ and deliver what you got, I'll deal with Josh tomorrow."-He added, hanging up as soon as he finished talking.

-" ** _Damn, that Josh guy is screwed_**."-Blake thought to himself as he headed to the HQ. -"Sucks to be him"-He added, releasing a small chuckle.

 

He still kept thinking of a way to get vengeance from what Rodney did to him, unfortunately nothing yet. Despite wanting to get some payback he also knew that he had other important matters to take care of, he hasn't forgot about the female cop from before. -" ** _Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll be able to kill them both and nobody will notice..Or maybe just let them go with a warning_**..."

-"Yo sleeping beauty, watch where you're going!"-Blake bumped into someone from thinking too much, not focusing on who's walking. 

-"Maxwell?"-Blake was surprised to see a familiar face. He him since day one, it's been a while since they got to meet as both had different jobs as criminals.

-"If it isn't Blake Price the mad machine gunner? Damn...Been a while huh?"-Maxwell chuckled, shaking Blake's hand.

-"The one and only. How's it going? Being a high rank must be awesome huh?"-Blake asked. Maxwell used to be a simple criminal, until he proved himself worthy to be one of the top criminals of the Bloodroses.

-"Good, good. Hard work but the money is worth it."-Maxwell smirked, revealing to Blake his car, it was parked right next to the HQ.

-"DAMN that's your ride? How many jobs did you do for that beauty?"

-"Around 7, when you're my rank...Getting a car like this is a piece of cake."-Maxwell smirked, acting like a showoff but Blake didn't even care, he was staring at the car like a dog looking at his owner's plate.

-"Heh. You can't stop staring at my ride eh? Maybe one day I could give it to you once it gets too old for me to use, but for now I'll keep it."-Maxwell laughed at Blake's curiosity over his car. -"What are you doing here anyway?"

-"Delivering loan money, the usual."

-" 'Used to do that myself, until I got this promotion , been 7 years and you're still a mid-rank? Damn Blake."-Maxwell started to slightly mock him, though it was just for the laughs.

-"Slow progress is all what I'm about, you know me."-Blake replied, letting out a laugh.

-"Well I'm gonna go inside, check for any missions, you coming in too?"-Maxwell pointed at the door, waiting for a response.

-"Yeah, I need to deliver this to Byron, once I'm done with that I gotta get some sleep...I only slept for 2 hours"-He said, yawning.

-"After you."-Maxwell held the door for his old friend, following him inside.

 

Unlike Blake, Maxwell was actually much older, he was 10 years older than him in fact. Maxwell was one of the first criminals who joined the Bloodroses when they slowly gained power in San Paro, he first joined back in 1994. Of course getting to where he's at today, he had to work hard and prove himself worthy enough to become a high ranked criminal, and he did only after 5 years of being a Bloodrose member.  The two met at the day Blake first joined, at the time Maxwell used to be a guide for new recruits- a side job that he took to earn some extra cash.

-"So what are you gonna do about Josh?"-Blake asked Byron, giving him the money package.

-"I'll see what he has to say tomorrow, if he's just trying to fuck with me I'll make sure his store will burn...Stealing 100k from me and not giving it back makes me a little...Uneasy."-Byron frowned, he didn't like it when people don't pay back.

Loans from criminal gangs is something that many citizens do to survive, when the banks decide to stop providing them with the cash they need. However, it comes with a price. If the person hasn't returned the sum of money by the end of the given time, the criminal has the right to rob anything valuable enough from his or her private belongings.

When somebody loans from a criminal gang, he or she sign a contract, and once signing it, their money is given but must be returned by due or else. Not to mention if it's a business building funded by criminal money, the contract states that when the loan isn't paid due- the criminal giving the loan has a right to do whatever he wishes with the building. Not a smart move to do, yet some not so fortunate citizens have no choice but to take a loan from such a risky source.

Since his job is done, Blake left the HQ, heading back home just like he always does. On the way home he continued to think of a way to teach Rodney a lesson he'll never forget, if he wants to kill him, he has to do some planning first. Luckily the long walk back gave him enough time to slowly build a plan to make sure nobody knows Rodney is killed by him, to make it look like he died in a mission instead. Downside is, he doesn't know where Rodney goes to or where he lives.

 

Rodney was taking a casual stroll with a shotgun on his shoulders, scanning the area for any good stores to rob tonight. Some were still open, but too crowded- too many witnesses. Luckily for him, one was isolated from the rest, an electronics store just about to close its doors to the public. -"Too easy"-He smirked, loading the shotgun and approaching the store, ready to fire if it will be necessary to.   

Blake noticed Rodney, he wasn't too from him, instead of attacking he decided to hide for now and see what he's up to. -" ** _No point of killing him now, I'll do it when he's least expectin' it._** "-Blake said to himself, taking cover behind a brick wall.

The store clerk noticed the criminal approaching him with a sinister smirk on his face. -"L-Look I don't want no trouble, you want money yes? Take all of it! Just don't hurt me!"

-"Sorry but I don't believe in mercy"-Rodney replied, shooting the man on sight, the impact threw the body towards the wall. -"Now where was I? Oh yeah..Now I see"-Rodney whispered, turning his head and seeing the cash register still open inside the store.  

Blake took a peek and was left speechless. -" ** _Holy fucking shit._** "- He mouthed, he never saw Rodney so...Cruel. He then sighed, taking out the pistol from before out of his pocket. -"This should do the job."-

-"Now this is what I call a profit!"-Rodney smiled, seeing some valuable electronics, their worth can double if you sell it to the right people. -"I don' have to obey those assholes anymore, with the money I get from these stores, I'll be swimmin' in cash!"-He added, taking the money from the cash register, then pulling out his phone to call for a pickup.

This is it. He won't notice Blake's silent approach, before it's too late. He took small steps, slowly getting close enough to have a direct shot. -"I can't let that bastard make a fool 'outta me and live". Rodney meanwhile started talking on the phone while scanning the store for more valuables.

-"Yeah I think I'll need a big one sent over here, I gots some quality stuff here, now I offer 20k for all of the merchandise in the store...Well of course I get to keep the money, I robbed the damn place!"-Rodney kept arguing with one of his contacts, not noticing Blake's silent approach. -"No, I'm not sharing it either...Well screw you too!...God what an asshole"-He hung up and placed the phone on the counter, letting out a deep sigh, trying to figure out what to do now.

Blake was just a few steps away, he stopped walking, pointing the gun and aiming it on Rodney's head. -"Hello asshole"-He smirked, revealing himself to Rodney.

-"Blake?"-Rodney turned around to see Blake aiming the pistol at him. -"What the hell are you doing?"

-"A little something I like to call _revenge_ "-Blake replied with a chuckle, pulling the trigger and seeing Rodney drop dead with blood coming out of his head.

-"Nobody pisses me off and gets away with it"-He added, stepping on Rodney's chest with his shoe, pressing hard on it before letting go. He walked past the bleeding corpse, collecting the goods that Rodney planned to steal. -"Now if you excuse me, I got some money to collect".


	14. The big opportunity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time I decided to cut down some details,to see which is a better approach to the story: Detailed and long,or short and simple.  
> For any suggestions, mistakes or errors please let me know in the comments!  
> happy reading!  
> *This following chapter may contain some sexual references*  
> -Sprinkle

 

Blake felt happy, finally getting Rodney to shut up and the hefty sum of money in front of his eyes was even better. While taking as many bills as he can, he wondered if Byron will even give a damn if Rodney's dead.

-" ** _Nah, he has better things to deal with, Rodney's no exception._** "-He said to himself, letting out a smirk. Unfortunately as he walked around the store to get the cash on his hands, his shoes were stained with blood alongside small drips of it his face, Rodney sure bled quite a lot once his corpse fell down.

-" ** _Now what to do with you..._** "-He wondered, seeing Rodney's corpse on the ground, trying to figure out how to hide it from any public eye.

-" ** _Hmm maybe this dumpster here can be a reasonably good grave, it's not like he deserves any better than that._** "-He added, letting out a small laugh. The rather big dumpster was just behind the store's back door, a very convenient place to hide a body. The only downside is Rodney's heavy weight, he was skinny but weighed like a baby elephant.

-" ** _D-damn that guy needs to lose some g-goddamn weight._** "-He grunted, lifting Rodney's corpse and throwing it into the dumpster, closing the lid.  
The only thing left to do is gather the remaining cash and get the hell out of the store with no evidence left behind. Blake pressed and moved his shoes on the concrete, to get rid of the blood stains covering his soles.

Not to forget the killer's weapon of course, he placed the pistol back inside his pocket.  
He didn't care for the clerk's body or Rodney's shotgun, as long as he's away from the crime scene with no evidence of him being there, everything should go smoothly. Sure, he paid his hard earned cash to make sure his face is away from the cop's radar, but if they find any evidence- it's game over for Blake.

The program he signed for makes sure his personal information is removed from the SPPD's database, yet even it has some limitations. As soon as any cop arrests Blake, he or she can obtain anything about him and then the program can't help him no more.

-" ** _Time to leave this hellhole._** "-He said to himself, walking away from the store, cleaning up his face with his sleeve as he walks further from it. He felt relieved, nobody saw him killing Rodney, hence nobody can blame him, people might think the clerk and Rodney fought each other to the death. Despite wanting to carry all of the loot Rodney got on his hands before getting shot, it was too heavy for Blake to carry, so he only took the money.

He took yet another annoyingly expensive cab back home, the driver noticed some drops of blood on Blake's shirt yet chose to ignore it- criminals kill people all the time, big whoop, as long as he's getting paid he doesn't care. He hated relying on cabs for transportation but it was the only kind of ride he's got, but he might be able to get a second handed car with the money he earned.

While the cab driver was busy getting Blake to the requested destination, he had some time counting the stolen money on the way. -"Let me guess, you killed someone and stole his cash? Don't you punks ever learn to earn your cash with something called hard work?"-The cab driver frowned.

-"At least I earn _something_ , mind your own damn business."-Blake enraged, he hated how people criticize his work all the time, it's not like he can just find a cleaner job anyway. Bloodroses never leave, common knowledge for any criminal in the gang, if you decide to leave- you die, because you're a criminal for life. The driver kept on babbling and disrupting Blake's counting.

-"Just do your goddamn job for once. Christ...You don't see me judging your job, don't judge mine."  
Blake got off the cab as soon as it stopped, paying the annoying price of money once again- the driver charging double as usual. The driver looked through the window and yelled:" **You'll regret ever being like them, I bet the SPPD will put you behind bars by the end of this week!** "

-"Keep on believing that, might as well _believe_ in ** _fairies and unicorns while you're at it!_** "-Blake yelled back, flipping the driver off. -"Those assholes _never_ learn to keep their mouths shut..."-He added, lowering his head, being driven by anger again. At least back home nobody judges his work, because there isn't anyone there to do so.

 

Meanwhile Katy got back home, once again after a day full of work- she felt tired yet also rather disappointed, from what happened back there at the crime scene.

-"That was the most **_useless_** mission I've been called to, and I was on worse ones..."-She let out a deep sigh, petting her cat while relaxing on the sofa, thinking what she should do next.

-"Maybe I should do something different.. _Maybe_ I could catch the guy, despite what Jessie said- I believe I can take him down, I did it already with the Taser... So _how hard can it be_?"-She asked herself, looking at the window reflecting the night sky on her living room floor.

-"No... Maybe it's best if I do it during a mission, it's _safer_ that way...But- I could get a raise for catching him by myself, judging by his crazy ass behavior he must be worth _something._ in the SPPD."-She kept having dilemmas about it. Catching Blake alone could be fatal and chances for failure are higher, if she were to catch him with her team by her side- it **_should_** be a piece of cake.

Blake was also thinking the same thing, he also had plans for Katy. Even if she sort of helped him- she's still a cop, his common target. He can't stand the fact that it's because of her, people laughed and mocked him, and he doesn't like it when someone embarrasses him- Rodney did so and look where he's at now.

They both wanted to kill each other for the sake of money and possibly a promotion, barely giving a damn about who is the person they plan to kill. Sure Katy felt some kind of sympathy for the damn criminal, but at the same time wants him behind bars just as any cop does. Blake could tell that she was hiding something, that she isn't showing her real emotions during combat- releasing those hidden emotions can be a great advantage for him.

-"I gotta hit her in the weak spot, then she'll bow down to me..'Till I shoot her in the damn head for making a fool out of me."-Despite being aware of that before, he kept repeating that to himself, so he won't forget it.

Good night's rest was something they both fell for, both tired and exhausted despite their plans and ideas how to kill each other, physical needs come first.

 

**_Next morning: 6:22 AM- Blake's Place_ **

 

-"God my head..."-He woke up with a massive headache, probably from lack of food or water, or just a normal case of bad night's sleep. His room as always, was a total wreck, he didn't bother cleaning up the mess.

The only thing he could remember from last night was his dream, he kept thinking of an efficient way to end that cop's life and finally get this shit over with. One of the ideas was poisoning her, similar to how he killed his ex girlfriend Jacqueline a few years ago. The other was kidnapping her and torturing her until she begs for mercy, yet that one seemed a little too crazy, even for him.

-" ** _I should get some info, maybe a few guys from the gang know anything about her._** "-Blake thought to himself while walking through the narrow hallway separating his room and the kitchen. -" ** _Or maybe I could do it myself..._** "-He added, getting some leftover coffee from the cupboard. The coffee jar was almost empty, yet luckily for Blake, enough powder to keep him focused for the day.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated on the floor where he last threw it, a message from one of his contacts. -" ** _Ugh I didn't even get a chance to brew it..._** "-He sighed, picking up the phone from the floor and seeing what he has to do this time.

-"Report to the HQ immediately."-That's the only thing written in the message. Blake sighed, knowing that he won't have enough time to have some breakfast and relax before work. Without a choice, he had to brew his coffee quickly and drink it cold, it was disgusting yet strong enough to keep him awake and alert.  
With no second to lose, Blake grabbed his basic things- a pack of cigarettes, his ALIG, his wallet and pistol and rushed downstairs to catch a taxi. It didn't take long for him to find one as they still roamed the city even this early in the morning.

 

**_Bloodroses HQ, 6:50 AM_ **

 

-"Glad you could make it on such a short notice"-Byron smirked, looking at Blake's constant panting, he was hurrying alright.

-"This.. _._ Better be...Important."-Blake said, he kept losing his breath as he spoke.

-"Trust me _it is_."-Byron replied, walking closer to Blake. -"I am re-considering on giving you a promotion, everybody makes mistakes and even people like you deserve a _second chance._ "-Byron added. Blake couldn't believe what he was hearing, it's rare to hear Byron so optimistic, let alone so forgiving.

-"You can prove yourself worthy enough if you find a cop, and squeeze any piece of info you can get from him. Even if it means beating him up 'till he spills the beans..."-

-"Why do you want me to get some info from a cop?"

-"I've been hearing that the SPPD may have spies again, even though they clearly promised that there won't be any according to the deal we made when their own spy Natalie Hunt died. Get any information you can, by any means necessary."

-"But why me exactly? Don't you have some rich and powerful guys like Maxwell who can do it?"

-"Sure I can always send Maxwell to do it, but I'm willing to give you a rare opportunity to prove yourself worthy enough to get your rank up a little."

-"Good thing you're on my side this time eh?"-Blake gave Byron a little pat on the back, he replied with a smile, seeing how Blake is alright with this mission.

-"Now this part would be a little difficult, to find a cop and get him to talk..But I'm sure you could persuade him with your ALIG, not to mention your brute force."-Byron smirked, letting Blake go do his job.

 

***

-" ** _This is it...I know exactly which cop to ask, boy will this be fun to do._** "-Blake thought to himself as he walked out of the HQ. He could hurt her until she spits up the information like she'll spit up blood from her mouth.

But now, the trick is to find her. Which isn't easy at all, he barely knows anything about her, he doesn't even know her name correctly. -" ** _I got time, for now maybe I should get back home and sleep a little extra, I'm dead tired..._** "-He added, yawning.

 

  
-" ** _Ah, thank god nobody called me_ _._** "-Blake stretched, getting up from the couch and getting ready to head out once more. Luckily this time he could have some decent breakfast..If there was any.

He kept checking the cupboard and fridge for food, nothing left to eat. -" ** _Crap, I ran out of food...Again._** "-He sighed, taking out his wallet and checking how much money he has left. -" ** _This should be enough to buy some groceries_**."- He counted the bills, he had around 20$ in cash. Once getting out of the apartment, he walked to the nearest grocery store, around 5 blocks away from where he was standing.

 

 

Meanwhile, at the SPPD, Katy just arrived to work- waiting for another set of tasks to do for today. Suddenly she received a call from her transmitter.

-"Hey Katy, It's me Jessie. Listen, could you do me a solid here? I was supposed to patrol a few store blocks not too far from here. Could you get there and patrol the place? I wish I could do it myself but my hands are tied, at least at the moment."

-"Why specifically me?"-Katy asked.

-"Well 'cause I know you're good enough to kick some criminal ass if it needs any kicking, and nobody else has responded to my call yet. I guess they're busy with their own work. So, can you guard the place or not?"

-"Sure, just give me the address and I'll be right there."-Katy accepted the task, heading out to her police car. As Jessie gave her the address, she opened the door and got inside. -"Okay, I'm on my way." It's not the first time Jessie asked her for these kind of things, in fact they help each other out with the daily tasks. If anything's amiss, they always make sure to fill in for said task.

Katy stopped at the parking parallel to a local grocery store, surrounded by a few other small businesses. The street itself was still relatively empty, the only people she could see were the owners just opening up their shops.

She took a deep breath before getting out, letting out a sigh. -" ** _I hope I won't have to deal with crazy jerks like that one guy...God he really pissed me off back there._** "-She said to herself, remembering about her incident with the blue haired criminal.

 

Blake finally arrived to the grocery store, seeing how it was open unlike the other shops surrounding it. He saw a bunch of people piling up to get inside, so anxious for groceries. Despite the policy which states that nobody can enter a store or a public location with a firearm, but he put in a pistol just in case he'll need it. -" ** _Screw the policy, if a cop gets to me, I'm not afraid to get him back._** "-He thought to himself as he remembered about it.

Katy started to wander around the store block ,seeing the types of store surrounding it, for some reason, it felt peaceful walking around them. She remembered how as a kid, she and her dad would come here to buy ice cream on warm summer days, sure brings back a lot of good memories. Ever since her father became ill and had to move back to L.A, it became more common for her to reminisce those precious moments.

-" ** _I wonder why would they ask Jessie to patrol here, this place looks too peaceful...Too quiet._** "-She thought, seeing her reflection on one of the display windows, she could imagine herself as a child again. So young, yet very brave and strong willed.

She decided to enter each of the opening stores, one by one, just to check what's inside and if there's anything she needs to help with. You'll never know what people can ask a cop to do. As she started to enter one of the first shops on the block, Blake got distracted for a while, seeing a beautiful car parked on the other side of the road. -" ** _Damn that ride's beautiful, if it were a girl...I'd fuck the shit out of it._** "-He said to himself, letting out a small chuckle as he looked at the details it had.

Blake always had a thing for cars, people would often ask why didn't he join the G-kings if he loves cars so much. But he was raised to be a Blood rose more than a G-king, since he was told how they earn more cash and they are considered a more balanced gang.

-" ** _Okay enough distractions, I'll just get in and grab some food before my jaw drops on the damn floor._** "-He said, looking away from the oddly seducing vehicle and going about his planned business.

-"Everything alright here?"-Katy asked each person the same question as she entered a different store, all replying with positive, happy answers. She felt in a good mood, talking to those people, smelling that scent of freshly baked bread and having some decent quiet time for once. However, this moment isn't going to last forever.

Blake walked around the different aisles, placing some groceries on the small shopping basket. -" ** _Let's see...Should I get diet soda or non diet...Does it even matter_ _?_** "-He started asking himself some pretty odd questions, out of boredom. -" ** _Ooh a six pack for 2.99, that's a price I love to see..._ _If this ramen will be better than Wu's Buffoon's* , I'd pay double just to get that into my stomach_ _._** "

He was acting all decisive, making sure he has enough money to pay for all the stuff he just placed inside that shopping basket. A six pack of beer, some ramen packages with different flavors, a 1 liter soda bottle, a jar of coffee, and of course a pack of cigarettes on the go. Recently the city has placed a tax on cigarettes and alcohol to possibly reduce the amount of people buying it, but people like Blake would pay any price just to get it on their addicted little hands.

-" ** _Aw fuck I think my voice's getting husky again, there goes my possible shower singing career._** "- He said, coughing for a bit before continuing to pass through the aisles, heading to the cash register.

-" ** _I doubt anyone's gonna even show up, maybe today's some kind of a criminal holiday where nobody works or something...Hell if I knew._** "-Katy walked out of the last store in the block, the only one left to patrol was the grocery store. -" ** _Okay Katy remember, look at people's facial expressions- if a person's nervous standing in line or is watching the cameras too much, he could be planning a heist._** "-She added, getting inside, taking a closer look at the store and the costumers inside it.

Except for Blake and the clerks, there were about 8 different people, standing in line, with Blake in the back, sighing how the line's moving too slowly.

When she saw Blake standing in the line she quickly hid behind one of the shelves.

-" ** _Fuck_** , if he sees me here, he could go on a rampage and start _killing_ those people, I gotta be efficient and silent. Silent's the biggest part here..."-She added, getting nervous of what could potentially happen. The _last_ thing she wants to happen is being responsible for innocent deaths over some crazy-ass criminal.

 

Blake didn't even know she was there, he was busy counting the dollar bills from his wallet while also making sure he has everything he needs. When he heard someone come in, he thought it was probably another civilian getting some groceries.  
She waited for him to pay for his groceries and get out of the store, if she's gonna arrest him, she at least should deal with the likes of him outside.

-"Thank you, come again!"-The female clerk said to Blake, giving bags to take his groceries with.

-"I always come here anyway, a man's gotta eat you know?"-He replied, letting out a small laugh while picking up his groceries and stuffing them into the plastic bags. Blake got outside of the store, unaware that Katy was following his every step.

 

She had to be patient, wait until the right moment to strike.

 

Blake started to walk back to his apartment by foot, he decided to save his remaining cash for later rather than spending it on a cab. -"As soon as I eat my breakfast, I'm gonna have to find that female cop from before and make her talk, even if I'll have to kill her in the process. It's not like Byron mentioned to keep the cop _alive_..."-He thought while walking. Although he wanted her dead, he barely remembered how she looked like- yet he was still determined to find her.

He took a turn to a narrow alley, a shortcut back home. This was Katy's chance to strike, nobody was around except for them. She hid behind a large dumpster, getting ready to use her Taser once more.

She started to run, planning to hit Blake in the back and knock him down, which will give her the chance to arrest him.

He heard steps behind him ,turning around too late, getting knocked over by her. -"I hope for your sake that you didn't _steal_ anything on your way out."-She said, trying to keep him steady on the ground.

-" _Ugh.._ -"He groaned.-" _You_ ** _bitch!_** "-He reached the pistol from his pocket, hitting her face with it as he loosened from her grip, a way to fight back. She stepped back, holding her cheek from the sharp pain.

-"Don't you _dare_ do that again, you don't know who you messing with _sweetheart_."- He saw how her skin turned darker from the impact, feeling a little proud of himself for a second. She didn't fall back however, she pulled out her Taser and tried to aim at him. Unfortunately as she aimed, she still felt a little uneasy from the massive hit she took. She missed by a few short centimeters.

-" ** _Pathetic._**.."-He angered, pinned her down when he saw how distracted she was by the pain. He felt excited, he couldn't wait to see her die, to finally get this pain in the ass away from his head. Yet before ending her life on the spot, he remembered about his mission- he _needs_ the info, and if she dies, he _won't_ get it. -" ** _Get up._** "-He grunted, giving her a hand and helping her get up on her feet.

-"W-what are you doing?"-She asked, seeing how he helped her, something that she never thought a criminal would do.

-"I'll make you a deal okay? I need something from you, and if I get it, I'll finally get what I want. You know the abandoned highway? the one that barely anyone goes to? Let's meet there and see who _really_ is strong here. If you win, you get to arrest me and do whatever you like, but _If I_   win...You will have to tell me a little something"

-"Something like?"

-"You'll see, no point telling you now."

-"I gotta know it if you want to make this deal with me, I can't spill out anything for you...I barely know you."

-"Oh how rude of me."-He said in a sarcastic tone. -"I'm Blake Price."

-" _Katy, Katy Anderson._ "-She replied, feeling a little awkward from him being a little too close to her.

-"Anderson eh? Nice name you got there...I'll make sure to write it on the highway bridge, so that everyone knows you _lost_."-He mocked her.

-"Huh. **_Excuse me?_** 'Says the doofus who **_lost_** against me not once, but twice!"-She mocked him back, letting out a little laugh.

 

-"Someone's a little _too_ _cocky_ today. I like your attitude. At least you'll still have your sense of humor when I'm done with you."

-"So what do you exactly want me to tell you?"

-"Getting to know you would be a start, then maybe some info on the SPPD while we're at it."

-"You wish, I'll never tell you anything about the SPPD, _even_ if you beat me."

-"Then you're not strong enough, if you feel like you can arrest me. Prove it. You and me, one on one in the abandoned highway, where your little cop friends can't help you."

-"So the only reason you don't want to kill me is because you want info about the SPPD? I'm surprised how you criminals value lives over missions."

-"Well I could just kill you once I'm done gathering the info I need. My contact didn't specifically say to keep you alive. Though It would be a shame to kill you, _such a cute little face_."-He let out a small chuckle, reaching his hand to her face and feeling it a little.

-" ** _What the hell are you doing?!_** "-She replied to the odd touch with a frown, awkwardly blushing from the sudden approach.

-"Just saying that you look cute, what is it a _crime_ to tell a cop she looks cute? Fine go arrest me for a _compliment_."-He replied sarcastically. -"It's always the assholes who look the _cutest._ "-He added, teasing her a little.

-" _Ha ha_ , _very funny._.."-She murmured.

-"So deal or no deal? Or you want me to keep making fun of you, in fact, I got all day to do that if you'd like."  
She angered, pulling the collar of his shirt and staring at him. -"You got yourself a deal."-She let him go and reached to shake hand with this crook. -"Pray to god I won't tear you apart."- She added, punching him in the lower stomach.

-"You better do harder than ** _that_** if you want me arrested."-He chuckled, picking up his groceries from the concrete floor and going about his business.

 

_{Wu's Buffoon*- a local Chinese food joint which Blake orders from on a weekly basis, he's known to be one of the most loyal costumers there. }_


	15. The big mess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever, I wrote around 2 chapters and have yet to post them (gotta check if they're alright).  
> I was maybe considering to re-re-write this story to perhaps attract more people into reading it, but I still don't know if I should do it or not.  
> Of course any suggestions you have for fixing this story will really help and I'll gladly accept them.

-"Where are you going?"-She yelled, hurrying to catch up with him.

-"Home. Where else?"-He replied, raising his brow from Katy's weird question.

-"You didn't tell me when to meet you."-She added, preventing him from moving forward before getting an answer.

-"I'll text you with the details, give me your cell number and you'll know everything."

-"Why can't you just tell me right here, right now?"

-"Listen... Anderson, I gotta get back home, like I said, I'll text you about it later."-Blake replied. Katy decided to go with his plan, giving him her phone number and hoping he isn't scamming her or something.

-"If you're gonna prank call me or do whatever else with my number, I swear I'll get your ass behind bars, and I won't have mercy on you."

-"Jesus woman calm down...I'll text you with the details, we'll get this shit over with and we both go our separate ways. Now please, step aside or I'll turn your other cheek purple."-He threatened, pushing her away from him and on the way picking up the dropped groceries before leaving.

Noticing Blake leaving the scene, she decided to do the same and continue with her day.

 

 

Once finishing the patrol, she got back to station, seeing Jessie chatting with the staff while holding a mug of coffee in her hand.

-“I see you’re having fun.”-Katy said, smirking with her arms crossed.

-“Huh...Sorry you had to do that, but hey I can cover you next time if you’d like.”-Jessie said while making an awkward smile on her face.

-“It’s okay, I needed a little exercise anyway. So what were you and the guys laughing about?”-Katy walked a little closer, seeing how her co-workers were having an amusing conversation.

-“We were just telling some jokes, wanna join us?”-

-“Sure, I could use a little break.”-Katy smiled, gladly joining the fun.  
Katy, Jessie and the rest of the staff kept telling jokes and sharing old memories, they barely noticed how time passed.

–“I remember how, as a kid, I used to think that cocaine was basically sugar, so I kept on trying to snort it- my folks got so mad that day!”-Jessie admitted to her colleagues, laughing it off and wiping a tear from her eye. However, when she turned to the wall to check on the time, she was shocked that this lasted for almost 2 hours.

–“Oh shit, I didn’t think it would last THAT long. Anyway, it was hanging out with you guys, but now me and Katy here gots to do some police work, so if you excuse us.”-She smiled, shoving her friend from the couch and escorting her to the reception to look for any tasks to do. They giggled on how the two moved so quickly, yet they also separated- each to his own job.

Katy kept thinking about the deal she made with Blake.-“ ** _What if someone finds out, I can’t just, make a deal with this... This asshole! I could have just arrested him on the spot... I should keep this to myself, who knows how Jessie will react if she finds out._** ”-She thought, looking at Jessie while being dragged by her to the reception.

-“Hold on, I gotta check my phone for something.”-Katy stopped Jessie from dragging her so she could pull out her phone.

-“Something like?”

-“It’s important.”

-“Can I see?”-

-“Sorry, it’s private.”-Katy hid the screen with her hand once Jessie tried to see what the message was.

-“Fine, fine. Let me check what we can do while you do your texting.”-Jessie let out a sigh once walking away. –“She’s so insistent”-She said to herself.

-“Finally”-Katy whispered, seeing the text message from Blake. The time and location were written, surprisingly in a very accurate way. –“Wow, that’s a lot of detail for a simple duel, or whatever this is to him…”-She added.

Blake decided to make the deal tomorrow at 11 pm, a time when the abandoned highway is completely clean from any kind of presence. Not to mention, he liked to work at night more than at day, he’s not a big fan of the sun.

Once making sure she understood the location and everything else, she followed Jessie to the reception, only to find out that Jessie already found something they could do. It seems that another criminal group decided to raid an apartment building, so it’s up to Jessie, Katy and the team of enforcers to stop them.

 

Meanwhile, Blake was back home, once he sorted all of the groceries he decided to sit on the couch and check for any new messages on his phone. The first one that popped up was another mission he has to do, a series of missions to be exact. –“ ** _Just when I thought I could have a day off...Oh well._** ”-He sighed, getting up and walking out of the apartment once more.

While he was doing his casual missions of killing cops and robbing stores, he kept thinking of the deal he and Katy made for tomorrow night.

–“ ** _I gotta make sure she loses…Once she does, I’ll take all the info I need and probably finish her off. No. Wait…If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve been locked up already, she’s the same cop who drove me to Rico’s, but at the same time…Anderson’s my enemy, I can’t let her slip away like this, a perfect opportunity to kill her and prove those assholes I am not afraid of no cop...Maybe I don’t even have to kill her, maybe I could just threaten her instead…Nah that’s too merciful, even for me._** ”-He kept on thinking, sometimes ignoring his surroundings and making his teammates a little pissed off because of it.

-“Dude, get your damn head outta the clouds!”-One of his teammates gave him a bump on the head with the barrel of a pistol.

-“Ugh…Sorry I was _overthinking_ back there.”-Blake replied with a slight squeal of pain.

-“What were ‘ya thinking of? How to not die by a bunch of cops? ‘Cause you gonna die right now if you don’t stop thinking like that.”-The teammate replied, sighing and moving on with the mission with Blake catching up.

 

 

Later that day, Katy finally got back home from that task she did with Jessie. It was rough, painful, and pretty brutal, yet that’s how most of those “tasks” are. She tried to slowly sit down on the couch without making her whole lower back quiver with pain. Luckily she wasn’t alone, her pet cat comforted her by purring and rubbing its furry back on her legs.

-“Oh Mr. Fluff, you won’t believe that day I had…”-Katy let out a little laugh, gently petting her cat while having a flashback of what happened with Blake today. –“I wonder if he texted anything else.”-She added, checking her phone just in case. Her phone was almost always on “Silent” mode, she’d rarely use it for anything besides calling, yet texting was something recent she started to use.

She scrolled down the “Messages” page on her phone, a long line of unread messages showed on the screen- mostly ads, and sometimes just quick texts from her friends or parents. Then she encountered Blake’s previous messages, except for the location of the so called “deal” and the time, nothing else was mentioned.

–“ _Huh_. I thought he’d say something like: ‘Oh I give up, I’ll just let you win because I can’t fight for shit’. Hmm…Probably not though, he doesn’t seem like the ‘Sweet and caring’ type, nor the ‘Person with feelings’ either…”-

She decided to ignore the whole thing and check the other messages, noticing her dad’s appearing next to Blake’s-they were recent.

-“Hey sweetie, I hope you’re doing alright in S.P, sorry we couldn’t talk much last week. I might be retired, but that doesn’t mean I don’t help the LAPD on the side once in a while. Anyway, I’ll call you when I can, love you dear.”-Katy smiled upon reading the message, it’s been a while since she met her father due to the far distances, yet they still keep in touch by calling or texting each other. It brought back those happy memories she had with him, back when she was a little girl- hoping to become a policeman just like her old man. She still owns her dad’s old police car, though sadly as the years go by the old Dolton model is starting to show its due date. Sometimes it would break down or just have an ignition problem, yet despite that, she still kept it all those years.

 ** _-“I’ll never forget the day he let me test drive his police cruiser, hell I won’t forget the time I accidentally rammed it into a tree and we both hurried it to the garage.”_** -She said to herself, looking at some old photos hanging on the wall, photos of her family and childhood milestones. From a rookie teenager just learning to drive and become a cop, to a trained policewoman with a gun on her back and friends on her side.

Unlike her, Blake barely kept any photos at home, only a few of his ex-girlfriends. Yet those photos were covered with bullet holes and knife cuts, it’s pretty obvious that he hates them, otherwise they wouldn’t be looking like ancient, creased and cut photos, only full of evidence of someone who’s furious all the time. In fact, his apartment didn’t contain many memories from his first days as a Blood rose, not any good memories at least. He used to stab or shoot the photos once a year to make it some kind of creepy anniversary reminder, but now he only does it when he’s enraged to a point where he breaks furniture. Those moments happen quite often.

-“ ** _Tomorrow’s the big day…Remember, just take him down and finish the job. He’s just being cocky, there’s no way he’d win. Criminals like him deserve a punishment, and that’s what he’s getting tomorrow._** ”-She mumbled to herself before preparing to sleep, it was getting late and she has to get up early for work the next day.

 

***

 

-“Ugh what time is it…”-Blake woke up to the sound of his phone ringing at 4 AM, probably another mission call or something like that.

-“Hello?”-He yawned, stretching his arm and awaiting a response.

-“Sorry that I woke you up so early, but I gotta know about you and what I asked you to do.”

-“ ** _Right now?_** At 4 AM?”

-“Yes. I bet you at least know a little bit of information by now.”

-“No…”-Blake murmured, hoping to get back to sleep as soon as possible.

-“No? Me and the other contacts need that info Blake, we tried looking ourselves but nothing has come up yet. We need you to-“

-“Listen Byron, I had a rough day, I need my sleep…Besides at around 11 pm tonight I’m gonna find out about the whole spying thing…”-Blake interrupted with a loud yawn, replying once Byron stopped talking.

-“ _Are you?_   You better get that info Blake, otherwise I could just give it to _someone else_ , and you want this promotion, not me.”

-“I’ll do my best to get that information about the spying program…”-He yawned before finishing his sentence. –“Don’t sweat it…”

-“Make sure the cop doesn’t snitch on you, and if he does just take care of him if you catch my drift.”

-“Yeah…I’ll do that…”-Blake yawned again, hanging up before letting Byron finish. –“I just need to sleep first…”-He added, placing the phone on the end table by the bed, going back to sleep.

 

Several hours later, at around 8 am, he received a message- probably more missions. –“What is it this time.”-He grunted.

–“Wait a minute”-He raised his brow, noticing that the message was written by a different number. –“Anderson?”

-“Are there any specific rules I need to know about this deal today, or anything at all that you haven’t told me yet?”-Katy’s message appeared in front of Blake’s eyes, he was surprised that she texts to him, this early too.

-“I’ll tell you what you need to know when we get there, the only thing I can tell you is that no matter the situation, you can’t bring any of your cop friends to this. This is a _private_ deal, no P.Is or spies or whatever you cops use, and no backups, you won’t need one anyway.”-He texted back.

-“Fine, 11 PM tonight it is?”-

-“Yes. Good luck, you’re gonna need it.”-Blake replied, feeling a little cocky and sure that he’s going to win. –“There’s no way she can beat me, if she beats me and send me to jail, this will be the day I’ll lose my dignity.”-He said to himself, turning off his phone, enjoying a small breakfast meal.

 

***

 

-“Remember, you can’t let anyone know about this. Not Jessie, not the staff, not anyone.”-Katy kept reminding herself about the deal tonight, she is aware that doing _any_ kind of deals with a criminal is dangerous, yet if the SPPD finds out that she cooperated with a criminal, she might get fired.

She barely slept last night, worried of the outcomes in this “deal” she’s going to make with that criminal.-“What if he wins, I can’t just …Tell him everything I know. I can’t believe I agreed to this, I could’ve arrested him by now…”-She said to herself, wondering if she should still follow this plan, maybe it would be better to outsmart the criminal? Or to do what he says and move on as soon as it’s over?

-“Let me get this straight, you wanna fight this cop in order to get info from her, but _if you lose_ to her, _she’s_ _allowed_ to turn you in? This sounds kinda dumb, even for you…”-Rico sighed over the phone, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

-“I wish I could just _squeeze_ the info outta her, but she won’t give in this easily. I can’t kill her either because she’s _the only cop_ that I can talk to, at least right now. Not to mention Byron called today, he’s desperate for info and if I wanna get a promotion, I gotta do it today, or no promotion.”

-“I hope you know what you’re doing, she doesn’t seem like the easiest person to deal with, at least from _how I_ see it.”-Rico replied. –“How do you know that you’re gonna win anyway? What if _she_ beats you?”

-“She won’t Rics, _I won’t let her_. We’ll end this deal like civilized people. Once both of us are satisfied…Well once _I’m_ satisfied at least, we each go our own separate way as if this whole meeting never happened.”

-“If she gets heavily injured, someone’s is _definitely_ gonna ask questions.”

-“She can get heavily injured from normal missions anyway, nobody’s gonna notice or care.”

-“What if she you know…Snitches on you and eventually turns you in?”

-“Then I’ll kill her, once I get what I need. I’ll either kill her _or_ just ignore this ever happened and move on.”


	16. Dealing with the problem

Later that day, Katy was just getting ready to head to the abandoned highway to finish this deal as soon as possible. She took a Taser, a small pistol, some ammo and her phone just in case. She finished what she had to do and went downstairs to her police cruiser.

As she drove to the designated location, she noticed how empty most of the streets were at night, it’s pretty obvious that an average citizen won’t risk his life walking at this hour. Usually criminals tend to scout around, to find weak targets to rob from, despite the SPPD is trying to stop this from happening, it’s nearly impossible to stop them all.

Blake was already there, getting ready to meet his enemy and face her alone. In fact, he went early to practice a little bit and scan his surroundings to use them for his own advantage.

He climbed up on one of the old offices next to the abandoned highway, sitting there and seeing if Katy’s around. –“No sign of Anderson yet, what’s taking her so long…”-He grunted, checking the time and noticing that she’s 5 minutes late.

She wasn’t trying to be late, it was just her car that kept her from getting to the location on time. It kept making odd noises from the engine and stopped moving for a while. –“Ugh I’ll never get there on time…”-She sighed, getting out of the car and decided to walk there instead. –“I’ll get the car fixed tomorrow”-She added, glancing at her car for a second, then heading to the abandoned highway by foot.

-“It’s about time you’d show up”- Blake saw her from the distance, commenting on her lateness. –“I thought I was gonna have to settle down on this roof.”-He added, letting out a chuckle. Katy crossed her arms and sighed.

-“So, are there any rules to this so called deal?”-She asked.

-“Yeah, first of all no cops, no backups no nothing. This is private and we will leave this place once it’s done like nothing ever happened, well one of us atleast.”-He replied, being so confident that Katy will be the one who loses tonight.

-“Second rule, no assault rifles, stun guns or anything that could make the fight unfair. Don’t try to hide it, I know you brought the Taser from before. Get rid of it _before_ we start.”-He added.

-“So I can use my pistol right?”-

-“Right.”

-“I could just shoot you in the head and I’ll win, no problem with that. I can aim pretty well too.”

-“Huh. You convinced me then. Third rule, _you can only use your hands_.”-Blake smirked, cracking his knuckles.

-“ _Damn_ …”-Katy mouthed, scratching her head with embarrassment.

-“We start in 10…9…8-“-Blake was about to continue, then Katy kicked his knee and knocked him down, he fell on his ass as a result. –“God dammit Anderson, you’re gonna pay for that!”-He angered, getting up quickly and starting to throw his fists around her.

Blake wasn’t experienced with hand to hand combat, he was always used to either have a gun or a knife in his hand, and so he occasionally missed and punched the air instead. –“Wow. You’re really hurting me there.”-She mocked and laughed at the way he punched, her laugh didn’t last long however. Blake used her distracted state as an opportunity to punch her directly on the cheek, the same spot from yesterday.

-“Oops.”-He placed his finger on his lips. –“I didn’t mean to do that. Though I actually did, and it was worth it.”-He added, trying to find a weak spot in her enemy so he could knock her down too.

Katy felt so infuriated with him, she tried pushing him down yet he did the same. Both of them pushed each other to the opposite side, yet none of them fell down yet.

-“You don’t know who you’re messing with Anderson.”-He raged, throwing her on the solid concrete floor, pinning her down with his lower body. –“Now. I’ll finish what I started.”-He added, pulling out a small knife he had in his pocket.

-“You said we could only use our hands!”-She looked at the knife with a shock, flailing and trying to get up, yet Blake was too heavy and he kept her from moving away from his grasp.

-“Who said I would follow the rules?”-He chuckled, sliding the knife from her throat down to her chest. –“Hmm, where should I make the first incision?”

-“Y-You wouldn’t dare!”

-“I would love to end your life here and now…But I got questions to ask.”-He lifted her from the ground, letting go of his strong grip. –“You _lost_ Anderson. Congratulations.”-He let out a slow clap, circling her and checking the injuries on her cheek.

-“Fine…What do you want to know…”-She said, breathing heavily and slowly rubbing her cheek from the pain.

-“Is the spy program still active?”-He got closer to her, whispering the question while looking straight at her eyes.

-“Are you kidding? No, seriously, are you _fucking_ kidding me…”-She let out a deep sigh, holding her face with her two hands.-“Don’t tell me you’re seriously asking this.”

-“What? What’s the problem with what I asked? I’m dead serious, _IS_ the spy program still active or not?”

-“It was cancelled for years…I can’t believe you criminals think we still do that.”-

-“Cancelled? How it got cancelled?”

-“The public got afraid we’d be using this program to spy on them, which wasn’t our intention at all, but of course as they complained we had to slowly back off. We lost a lot of good people, people like Natalie Hunt who got decapitated a few years ago from a _criminal’s_ outrage.”

Blake let out a soft cough. Remembering what he did to her that very day, Katy noticed his reaction and stopped talking for a few seconds before he continued to talk.

-“Let me guess, I’m your next target? Is this why you sent me here? Just to answer you these dumb questions…You have got to be kidding me…”-She sighed again.

-“Pretty much. Though now _I don’t have to,_ unless you’re gonna run to the SPPD and snitch on me, _**then**_ I’ll _probably_ hunt you down and kill you. I hope I can trust you.”-He added, lowering his head, letting go of the knife in his hand.

Katy raised her brows upon seeing Blake letting go of the knife, which took a surprising turn to her. –“He’s not going to hurt me?”-She thought to herself, seeing how Blake is literally unarmed in front of her.

-“Sure.”-She reached her hand to him, and he shook her hand.

-“Thanks…Anderson.”-He let out a small smile. –“Sorry for being an ass to you lately, that’s just what I do you know…Being cruel gives me money.”  
She silenced, not wanting to reply to him. –“You’d be surprised that even a cruel crook like me still has a little humanity left in him. If I didn’t have that humanity in me, you would be dead by now…I also wanted to say thanks for not arresting me that one time and drove me to Rico’s instead.”-He added, noticing how she refused to look him in the eye.

-“I’m considering it…I don’t know if I should forgive you about what you’ve done to me.”-She rubbed her bruised cheek again, Blake lowering his head as he saw the way she touched it.

-“I owe you one Anderson.”

-“My name’s not _Anderson_ …My name’s _Katy_.”-She replied.

-“ _Oh_ , well I’m gonna call you Anderson anyway.”  
She noticed his reaction, letting out a little laugh. He smiled back upon seeing her happy again.


	17. Honesty isn't so honest

-“We’re done here right?”-She quickly came back to the topic, sure it was a pleasant conversation there, but it’s also pretty late.

-“Um, yeah pretty much. You need a ride home? I can order you a cab if you want.”-Blake suggested nicely, Katy was surprised by the offer but she quickly turned it down. –“No need to, I got my own car.”-Blake looked behind her but he didn’t see any vehicle parked nearby.

-“You sure about that?”-He asked.

-“Yeah, it’s just a little broken down but I’m pretty sure it can make it back with no problem. Besides, I gotta send the old Dolton to the mechanic tomorrow anyway for a checkup.”-She bluffed, her car wasn’t exactly in the best condition, yet she liked to brag about it.

-“Mind dropping me off at my place? I need to save some cash and walking all the way back will take forever.”-He let out a little giggle as he exaggerated the distance between the abandoned highway to his home.

-“Actually, I lied. The old Dolton is slowly breaking down and I _gotta_ get it checked tomorrow. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want a drive from that old hunk of junk.”-She replied with an awkward laugh.

-“Can’t you just _get_   a new one? Don’t you cops get a lot of money for this stuff?”-

-“Currently not really, I’m not exactly that high up in the ranks for a high salary so I stick with the Dolton until I can afford a better one. Besides…I got quite the history with that car, it’s a little hard to let go of it.”  
Blake shook his head, letting out a sigh and started to walk away, realizing that he’ll probably have to go home the long way. –“Wait, I can give you some cab money instead. How much is it?”

-“It used to be around 15 bucks, but I think it’ll get to 20 or 30 because of me being a criminal and a ‘potential threat’ so the driver gets paid extra for giving me a ride. Plus the whole no guns policy.”-He sighed, he had the feeling she might not have the exact price and he’d have to walk home.

-“Here. I got 20, should be enough right?”-She took out her wallet, pulling out a 20 dollar bill, handing it out to Blake.

-“Y-Yeah. It’s enough alright.”-He sutured for a moment. –“Why did I just stutter there…”-He thought to himself before turning back to Katy and thanking her for the money. –“Do I need to pay you back?”

-“Not necessary, plus I don’t need criminal money, I don’t want to even _know_   where you keep your cash.”-She said, thinking that he either keeps his bills in his dirty criminal pants or in his underwear, which is a very disgusting image in her head.

-“I have a wallet, you know that right? It’s just pretty much full of 1 and 5 dollar bills, probably not enough for a cab.”-He crossed his arms, looking at her with a cocky smirk.

-“Just get yourself a cab you, before I take away those 20 dollars and arrest you.”-She replied.

-“Sure.”-He nodded, before heading off again he wanted to add something. –“Also just because we’re in a truce right now, doesn’t mean I won’t kill you though, watch your back Anderson.”-He smirked.

-“Watch yours first tonight, and I’ll _think_ about it tomorrow.”-She mocked him back, heading back home.

 

 

On the next day Katy decided to get the car to a mechanic before heading to work, so she left home early. Because of her early arrival, she was the only one at the garage.

-“Good morning miss, how can I help you today?”-A mechanic approached Katy with a cloth in his hand, he was cleaning a wrench with it.

-“I need you to fix my Dolton over there, it’s getting old but I hoped maybe you can make sure it can still be drivable for a few good months, maybe an extra year?”-She asked, hoping for a positive answer.

-“You sure about that ma’am? That’s is one old model, It’s been a while since I saw Enforcers using this type of vehicle, I don’t know if it’s going to last too long on the road though, especially if you’re one of those combat cops.”-The mechanic replied as he took a closer look at the vehicle.

-“Don’t you perhaps have any parts to upgrade the engine, because lately the engine has been causing a lot of problems.”

-“I doubt I have any left, at least for this specific model, I got a bigger supply of Jericho and Vegas engines, though those probably won’t work with your car.”

-“What can you do to fix it then?”

-“I could give it a few small upgrades, but consider to buy a new vehicle by the end of this year at least. If it’ll take too much pressure it might blow up, or just stop working, and if the engine fails again, it’s a goner.”-The mechanic noted her before starting to work on the Dolton. Katy nodded with disappointment, she hoped it would last longer, but at the same time you can’t keep an antique like this alive for too long.

After paying for the upgrades, Katy tried to give it a test drive to work, luckily it didn’t break down in the middle of the road, so at least it didn’t malfunction _yet_.  
-“Someone’s early to work.”-One of the staff members noticed Katy’s early arrival, he let out a little laugh and continued to enjoy his breakfast. Katy smiled back and went to the breakroom to find Jessie, if she’s even at the station at this hour.

 

Meanwhile Blake was already at work, doing a bunch of early morning missions, the usual arsons, thefts and Enforcer murders always pump Blake’s heart with blood. Though working early isn’t exactly the best thing ever, but it pays off in its own way.  
He kept hearing his coworkers discussing about Rodney and where did he go, his mouth was shut and he didn’t bother telling anyone from the gang about the murder.

Usually criminals from the same gang who try to kill each other isn’t such a big deal, most of the time the contacts and even the big boss himself let it slide. Though when the killed member is someone important, that’s when it can get dirty.

Suddenly Blake was called by Byron as he recently ended another mission.

-“Listen Blake, you don’t have to hide anything from me.”-Byron started his sentence, at first Blake was confused but then he remembered of the incident with Rodney Nelson.

-“I _know_ you killed Rodney, I just gotta know why, you got a motive to your actions?”-Byron frowned suddenly, he didn’t like it when his own members fight too much.

-“He was being cocky, he deserved it. He thought he’s better than me in every damn way, and I proved him wrong. Simple as that.”-He replied, crossing his arms.

-“I have to admit he was a bit of a showoff, but I don’t want people to kill each other here Blake. Honestly, we are getting smaller and bigger simultaneously, we get new people and we lose them too. I don’t want too many casualties, Simeone doesn’t like your way of retaliating, yet he understands why you had to do it.”

-“So does that mean I’m off the hook?”

-“Pretty much, but watch over your actions Price. Don’t make him regret that decision.”-Byron replied, dismissing Blake.  
Blake walked out of the building surprised, mostly confused, but surprised. –“Damn…My own boss _allows_ this, I thought for a sec he’d hang me from a tall building.”-He thought.

-“Wow, he just let it slide like nothing happened? Damn, you’re getting lucky I see.”-Maxwell talked with Blake through the phone, he was too busy to meet him in person.

-“Maybe one day you’ll be on my league, though that’ll take a lot of ass kissing and maybe _some_ gun knowledge too.”-Maxwell added, laughing out loud.

-“Heh. Maybe. So how are things in the elite side of the Blood roses?”-Blake asked.

-“The usual, just rich people talk and maybe some bragging about how many enforcer heads you blew up. Shame we have less missions than you guys do, but you know, we’re so important that our contacts have to keep us for the best missions.”

-“Pssh, stop bragging too much for once.”

-“Says the guy who called me just to tell me how he got away from getting possibly killed.” –“Also did you get any leads on the spy program? I heard Byron sent you to get some info about it.”

-“I found some info alright, oh thanks for reminding me I’m gonna go tell him.”-Before Maxwell could say anything else, Blake hung up and got back in to tell Byron about his findings.

-“So the spy program isn’t active anymore? You sure about this?”-Byron asked.

-“I asked a cop myself, I forced her to tell me what she knew.”

-“I hope you got rid of her, you know how cops have such big mouths, and they never keep it shut…”-  
When Blake heard him, he started to get a little nervous. He can’t lie to Byron, but he also can’t tell him that instead of harming the cop, he befriended her.

-“Yes, she’s good as gone.”-He said, letting out a small cough and standing straight.

-“Good. Well I _promised_ you the promotion, did I? Well… _There’s a catch_.”

-“W-what?! But _you said_ I’d get a promotion if I give you the info! What gives?”

-“Honestly Blake, I’m not _that dumb_ to just give away promotions, you gotta prove yourself more to earn it. Sure you’ve been working hard here for the past 7 years, but I just want you to prove that you deserve this.”

-“Fine.”-He sighed. –“What do I have to do to get my promotion then?”

-“Well, today we are planning to block the financial district’s park road and finish off any unsuspecting Enforcers. With your machine gun, you could easily blow up some cop cars and earn some respect from me on the way.”

-“Sounds good to me, when are you planning to do this?”

-“At around mid-day, we gotta wait for everyone else to wake their asses up. We also asked some Elite members to help us with this, luckily for you, Maxwell decided to join the fun.”-Byron replied.

-“Why is that good for me exactly?”-Blake scratched his head.

-“Maxwell’s driving skills are off the charts, with his skill and your firing rate you two could destroy the cop cars easily. His job will be crashing the cars and even flipping them if possible, and your job is to blow ‘em up. Simple.”

-“Sounds good, I’m in.”

-“Excellent. Get everything you need before we start, you have 3 hours.”-Byron said, dismissing Blake.  
Blake left the building, heading home again to use those 3 hours wisely. On the way he lighted a cigarette, to calm down his senses from this whole experience he just had. –“I can’t believe this happened, this is my lucky day.”-He thought.

-“I gotta get my ALIG ready.”-He noted to himself, hoping some ammunition is left back at his place. On the way home he began to remember what happened last night with Katy. –“Why am I even thinking about her…The deal is over, she’s free to go and we shouldn’t meet again…Or should we?...No, that’s a risk I’m not going to take, not for her, not for anybody.”-He kept arguing with himself in his head, it was a little hard to forget about that incident.

If there’s anything that Blake doesn’t like to show much, is his feelings towards other people. Sure he likes to mess around with Maxwell and Rico sometimes, but it’s not the same with women. He had his “luck” with the members of the opposite sex, though the “experience” he had with them wasn't exactly a good memory to keep.

-“Stop thinking about her, she’s a cop. _Cops are your enemy_ , and you _don’t_ befriend enemies. _She’s no different from Natalie_.”-He continued to scold himself about him thinking about Katy, he couldn’t let her distract him from his job.

 

 

Meanwhile at the SPPD, it didn’t seem like a special day, typical jobs and tasks and the day seemed to be going slower by the minute.

 

-“You think there’s going to be any action today?”-Jessie sighed deeply, smothering her palms on her face from boredom.

-“It’s not the first time San Paro’s silent, remember last year?”-Katy replied, seeing how bored her friend is all of the sudden.

-“Please don’t remind me, it was so quiet that year…Unbearable.”-Jessie sighed again, she loved it when missions had action, some guns and of course, criminals getting the justice they deserve. It wasn’t that quiet last year, but there were full weeks where both G-kings and Blood Roses weren’t as active as they usually are.  
Both of them felt bored, they did a few tasks, but not really serious ones. Just casual cop work, nothing too special.

-“Anderson, Lee.”-One of the staff members called them, they both stood up and wondered what it is this time.

-“You both are called for a dispatch, it seems like the Blood Roses are planning something at the park, we don’t what they are going to do, but I suggest you two should prepare yourself.”-The staff member said, Katy and Jessie nodded with agreement.

-“Any other thing we need to know?”-Jessie asked.

-“No, that’s all we know for now. But in case things get out of hand, the team is going to be bigger than the usual size.”-He said before leaving the area, letting the two get ready for the mission.

-“Wanna go kick some criminal ass?”-Jessie asked with a cocky expression on her face.

-“Of course I do, let’s do it.”-Katy nodded, proudly showing that she’s ready to face this unknown challenge.  
Despite of her confidence, she wasn’t ready for what she’s going to see. At mid-day the Blood roses were already there, blocking the roads with their vehicles and machine gunners standing by, one of them was Blake.  
As the enforcers came into the scene, they all gasped at the huge blockade created in the park, they knew that if they won’t stop the criminals, they might attack civilians soon.

-“Holy crap, I never thought criminals were this smart to figure out a plan like this.”-Jessie looked at the scene from her car window and raised her brows from surprise. Katy drove by her and reacted the same way.

-“We need to split up, so they won’t be able to aim at us all at once. Trust me, machine gunners aren’t too fast.”-Katy replied to cheer Jessie up a little, she nodded to Katy’s idea and the rest of the team followed.

-“Here they come! Prepare to fire!”-A criminal scout alerted the rest as the enforcers came closer to the blockade. –“Snipers take aim!”-The scout added, the snipers heard him and took cover to get a better shot.  
Blake felt excited, ready to kick some enforcer ass and get a step closer to becoming an Elite member, or at least close to one. Maxwell on the other hand, parked his car in a hidden alley, he was sitting inside and waiting for the moment to strike the unsuspecting team of enforcers.

-“Ready to get your promotion?”-Maxwell asked Blake through the phone.

-“Hell yeah!”-Blake said in an excited tone, holding his ALIG and getting a good grip of it. He started to cheer, and the criminals standing next to him did the same, it spread to the whole blockade and the entire squad of criminals cheered alongside Blake.

-“Crims are getting cocky again.”-Jessie sighed, hearing their cheers and battle cries. –“They’re acting like a bunch of freaks, nothing new there honestly.”-She added, Katy and the rest of the team let out a laugh in agreement.  
The enforcers started to drive into the blockade, the criminals reacting fast and shooting at the approaching vehicles. Blake started shooting the tires first, so the cops can’t escape if they retreat.

-“ ** _MAINTAIN HEAVY FIRE!_** ”-The squad leader yelled to the machine gunners, pointing at the approaching vehicles.  
Blake suddenly noticed Katy’s vehicle in the distance, he wanted to keep the other criminals from firing at her, but then Maxwell drove out of the alley and chased her.

Katy tried to drive away from him, but her car slipped through the asphalt and grass and came into contact with a tree. Due to the rough impact, her carstarted to smoke.

-“Maxwell, stop it, you’re gonna get yourself killed!”-Blake yelled, but Maxwell was focused on knocking her down. He then had an idea how to stop him, by shooting the back of his car to alert him.

-“Dude what the hell are you doing?!”-Maxwell got his head out of the window and yelled at Blake with anger.

-“I’m saving your ass, the car’s gonna blow, **_get the hell away from there_**!”-Blake yelled back, Maxwell turned his head and saw that he was right, so he drove away from the area to a safer location.  
-“ ** _KATY!_** ”-Jessie yelled through the transmitter, hearing the static coming from Katy and seeing her vehicle starting to catch fire. She was having her own trouble as well, a group of criminals were running towards her vehicle and attempting to flip it. Jessie took out her pistol and fired at them, she missed some shots yet the remaining ones got hit hard enough to stop their rampage. –“ _We need backup and an ambulance ASAP_!”-Jessie yelled into the transmitter, hoping the SPPD can reach her.

Blake ran to the crash site, he saw that Katy was inside, unconscious and bleeding from her head. –“Oh no…”-He said to himself, smelling the scent of gasoline leaking and fire slowly igniting. Without any second thought, he opened the car door and unbuckled her from the seat. The buckle was stuck but after a few strong hits it got loose enough for him to release Katy. He held her and ran away from the car as far as he could.

The car blew up right behind his back, getting blasted from the impact with Katy falling on the ground a little further than him. The only sound he could hear was the sirens of the ambulance and criminals firing, he saw Katy getting evacuated from the scene.–“Get this man into the ambulance!”-A paramedic yelled as he noticed that Katy wasn’t the only one there. Blake heard his yell before losing consciousness as well.

Two days passed, Blake was lying in the hospital bed with bandages covering a large portion of his face and body. He could barely understand what was going on, everything seemed blurry and he kept seeing what he saw before passing out.  
He tried to get up but as he lifted his body, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He couldn’t move from the bed without feeling some kind of pain.

–“Where am I…?”-He asked himself, looking at his surroundings.


	18. Bedbound

A doctor walked into his room, to check up on him. –“If I were you, I wouldn’t move too much, you got hit pretty badly.”-He noted Blake, seeing how eager he was to get out of bed.

-“Who are you?”-Blake asked with confusion.

-“I’m doctor Bennet. You were sent here two days ago because of what happened at the crash site. Speaking of which, can you tell me your name sir?”

-“Blake… Blake Price.”-He replied. –“So doc, when can I leave then?”

-“For now your upper back and chest are still fragile, so you should stay in bed for a few couple of days. Maybe a week or two if the injuries won’t recover by then.”

-“A week?! Sorry doc but I can’t just sit in bed for that long, I got work to do.”

-“Whatever your work was before you passed out, it can wait until you recover.”-Dr. Bennet replied. –“Now if you excuse me I have other patients to tend to, meanwhile I’d suggest you get some rest.”-He added, closing the door and leaving Blake to be with himself.

-“I can’t stay that long…I need to go back home, No…I need to go back to Byron and tell him what happened.”-He said to himself, looking around the room as his eyes got clearer. –“Wait…How am I even in a hospital? Aren’t criminals banned from here?”

Suddenly the room phone started to ring, Blake didn’t expect anyone to be calling him, and he picked it up anyway to see who it was.

-“Morning sleeping beauty.”-Maxwell chuckled. –“You finally woke up. How are you feeling?”

-“My chest hurts and I can’t get out of my bed.”-Blake said and let out a deep sigh. –“I wanna leave already so I can tell Byron what happened, and get closer to that promotion…”

-“Get some rest, I’m already paying your medical bills and I told Byron about everything. No need to _cry_ to me.”

-“Wait what?!”-Blake gasped, he was happy and shocked at the same time.-“You did all of this for me?!”

-“Yep. _I owe you big time_ for saving my ass that day. So I did you a favor as a way to thank you. Now all you gotta do is recover and come back to work.”

-“Wait, before you go. Why did I get sent here? I’m criminal, aren’t we _banned_ from hospitals?”

-“I guess because of the C.P.P* they didn’t find out any criminal records about you, so probably to them you’re just a citizen who got hurt in the process.”

-“Either that or they must be very stupid _not to see_ I’m a Blood Rose.”-Blake laughed, Maxwell followed.

-“How was the fight? Did I miss anything?”

-“Nah not really, once you passed out we only got to kill a few cops, we also got hit pretty badly and lost 5 men that day. So after a while we had to run away from the scene, you should’ve seen how this one guy literally surrendered and let the cops take him away. What an idiot am I right?”

-“Pretty much.”-Blake sighed, he was a little disappointed in his gang on how they could have easily won, yet they failed.

-“Anyway I gotta go, just stay in bed and everything will be alright okay? Oh and one more thing, your phone blew up with the car so I’ll buy you a replacement one later.”-Maxwell added before hanging up.

-“Thanks man, for everything.”-Blake said in gratitude, Maxwell chuckled and hung up.  
The biggest problem with sitting in bed all day was missing out on all the action and opportunity, Blake wasn’t exactly lazy, but he was not an ambitious worker either. In the past, when he just started to work, it was very pressuring. Missions received almost every 2 hours, sadly he didn’t get a lot of sleep at the time so there were cases when he was dizzy during a mission. Sure he kept filling up his stomach with energy drinks, but even they have a time limit.

 

It was a moment like this that Blake didn’t like, he wanted to get out already and waiting a full week wasn’t going to be his plan. –“ _Maybe_ I’ll stay for 3-4 days, then I’ll just bail and get back home. At least then I could actually get my promotion quicker.”-He thought to himself, looking around the room as he lied in bed. –“There has to be a way for me to get out early.”-He added.

-“What happened to Anderson though?”-He suddenly remembered how he rescued her from her burning vehicle and wondered if she’s alive. –“Maybe she’s in the hospital too, I gotta talk to her.”-He added.

Once trying to pull himself out of the bed, he felt a lot of pain and just standing on his feet, it felt as if he was walking through hot coal. –“G-God…”-He shrieked in pain as soon as he started to walk towards the door. –“C-Come on…Walk you weak piece of shit…”

Luckily he managed to get to the reception without falling on his head. The receptionist looked at him with her brows raised, she surprised to see an injured man like himself standing next to her.

 

-“Can I help you sir? Should I call your doctor?”-She asked.

-“It’s okay…I-I just gotta know if Anderson was here.”

-“Anderson? You have to be more specific sir, there are a few Andersons checked in. Do you know the person’s first name?”  
Before answering he tried to remember her name, it took him a while to figure it out. –“Oh yeah…Her name was _Katy_ , _Katy Anderson_.”

-“It says that she checked out recently, she had a few minor injuries and got sent home yesterday.”

-“Oh good, _thank god she’s okay_ …”-He said to himself. –“W-Wait why am I even caring about her so much…”-He added. –“Oh, I thought she’s still here, never mind.”

-“She forgot her ID card here though. It was left in her room and one of the janitors brought it here.”

-“I-I could bring her the ID card. I know her.”

-“Are you sure sir? Are you related, or at least in some kind of relationship? I can’t just give this out to you.”

-“Um…”-He had to lie, so he spat out the dumbest thing he ever said. –“We _are_ in a relationship, _boyfriend and girlfriend_.”-He said in a _really_ awkward tone.

-“Huh. Then I guess you could deliver it to her safely, you can be trusted right?”-She was a little suspicious about him and the way he talked, yet she didn’t seem to say anything about the lie.

-“Yeah, I wish I could show you proof that we **are** , in fact, **_together_** …But my phone is… _Lost_ , yeah, lost.”-He continued to lie, of course saying his phone was destroyed in a car crash would make the receptionist more skeptic about giving him the ID card.

-“Here you go sir, I just hope she’ll get it on time.”-The receptionist fell for his lie, Blake felt relived and walked back to his room, despite the pain he still felt happy enough.

-“Now I can talk to her, if I give her the ID back, I’ll get a chance to explain what happened.”-He thought to himself as he got back into bed with the ID in his hand.

-“W-wait…Why do I even care about her? I could just hide the ID, or even destroy it…She’s a cop, she don’t deserve fair treatment… _But_ she’s also the same girl who drove me to Rico’s instead of to the SPPD, she practically saved my ass. She gave me cab money too, _man she’s nice to me_ …”-He contradicted himself a few times, he didn’t know if he should be nice like she was to him, or be like he always his to people whom are considered his enemy.

 

Three days later, Rico stopped by to check up on his old friend. He carried a bag on his back and a lunch tray in his hands.

-“You won’t believe the food they serve here. If I had the money, you’d bet your ass my patients would be fed like that. Anyway I decided to stop by, get you food and some company.”-Rico smiled, entering Blake’s room and placing the lunch tray on the desk beside the bed. Blake never minded the company, it’s better than doing nothing in bed all day.

-“I see you’re doing well. Aren’t you supposed to be at the clinic?”

-“Well this is my break hour, so I decided to spend it with you instead. Oh also I stopped by your place and got you some clothes to wear once you’re out.”

-“Wait. How did you even get into my apartment?”

-“You know the doorman at the front?”

-“We have a doorman?”-Blake couldn’t even remember anyone else in his building, besides the _loud neighbors_.

-“Yeah, he just hides in the maintenance closet. He came out when I told him I’m not a threat, so he gave me the spare key to your apartment.”-Once explaining himself, Rico took out the clothes from the backpack. It contained one black t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, sneakers and a spare pair of socks. –“Another thing. Maxwell asked me to deliver you this.”-Rico opened the second slot of the backpack and gave Blake a small white box, it had a phone printed on the front.

-“A new phone?”

-“Yeah since yours got probably destroyed, he spent his own cash for you. And by the way, your ALIG was recovered, I put it back at your place once Maxwell handed it over to me. "

-“Why couldn’t you visit me any earlier? You should have seen how bored I was, I barely got a chance to leave the bed. I tried leaving the room a few times, but it ended up with it me squealing like a little school girl.”

-“The clinic was full of injured criminals, I worked for 2 days straight just patching them up, and one other day to give them some painkillers. Sure it was a _nightmare_ of a shift, but hey I got paid well.”

-“ _Oh_ , sorry. I thought you forgot about me or something.”

-“You kidding? After I heard about the mission and the crash I was **_worried as fuck_ _!_**   I thought you’d get your ass sued and sent to prison once I heard you got sent to the hospital.”

-“Nah, the only thing they did was take care of me. The C.P.P was doing its best again.”

-“Hell yeah."-Rico replied with enthusiasm.  
As Rico continued to blabber about his day, Blake pulled out the ID card from the drawer, he wanted to check it out, only now he had a close look of it.

-“Is that what I think it is? Holy shit you stole a cop’s credit card?! Those things are worth a fortune if you give it to the right people.”-Rico said with excitement.

-“I didn’t steal it, I _retrieved_ it from the receptionist.”

-“How did you do that, and _why_?”

-“Long story.”-Blake sighed. “I did it because this is my way of talking with the cop I met. I was the guy who saved her from dying, and she’s the girl who sent me to your place when I got hurt.”

-“Why is her ID here in the first place?”

-“She left it in her room, she probably checked out without noticing something missing. I’m obviously gonna return it to her, I owe her a lot.”

-“Correct me if I’m wrong, but it looks like you’re _falling_ for this girl.”

-“I’m not _falling_ for her.”-Blake frowned, he didn’t like Rico’s statement.-“I just _want to clear some things up_ with this girl, I’ll give her the ID, maybe talk to her for a change.”

-“Good luck with that, I hope that she won’t try to kill or arrest you.”-Rico said, giving Blake a small pat on the back, and Blake responded with a loud grunt. –“Sorry, I forgot you had injuries there.”  
After giving Blake some friendly company, Rico had to come back, his break hour was over and it’s obvious that a whole bunch of criminals were waiting in line by now. As Rico waved him goodbye and closed the door, Blake let out a sigh, wiping his eyes gently and resting his head on the pillow. He had the ID card in his hands, it shined through the sunlight in the room, and the watermark of the SPPD was clearly visible in the middle of it.

-“For a cop I have to admit, she has decent looks.”-He smiled gently, looking at her photo, she looked serious in it but also a little attractive in Blake’s eyes. His eyes rolled to the right, where all the information he needed was written. The address to her apartment building. –“Huh, she lives in the center like I do. I figured cops like her live in some kind of beautiful villa in the suburbs.”-He said, surprised.

 

 

_*The C.P.P- Otherwise known as the Criminal Protection Program, is meant to protect any criminal from having his information revealed to the Enforcers. Only criminals who pay high sums of money can get themselves protected, the program itself is very undercover and it’s operated by a team of expert hackers, with the exclusive funding from the major gangs. People like Blake had to give up a lot of their yearly salary just to be protected._


	19. Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the recent inactivity, I was having a massive writer's block during this month, but I managed to write at least 2 more chapters.  
> If you think I should fix something, please let me know!

Before Blake could even open his eyes, two days prior, Katy was in the hospital room, looking at the window.  
The only thing she kept hearing is Jessie yelling before she crashed into the tree and passed out, the sound of police sirens and gunfire echoed through her mind. She then heard a knock on the door, it was Jessie, her eyes were red and her eyeliner dripped on her cheeks.

-“Thank god you’re alive!”-She said with relief, she came to Katy’s bed and gave her a hug. –“I thought you’d be done for…”-She added while sobbing on Katy’s shoulder.

-“Jessie, are you okay? Why are you crying?”-Katy said with a confused tone, comforting her friend with a pat on the back.

-“When the paramedics took you away from the scene, I thought you wouldn’t make it…”-

-“Wait, what even happened back there? The only thing I can recall was me lying on the grass before being taken away, you were yelling and I kept hearing sirens and gunfire.”

-“You crashed into a tree because of some criminal asshole chasing you. If it wasn’t for that dick you’d still be okay…”-She said, calming down. –“Once I get my chance, I’ll kick his ass, I promise.”-She added, feeling determined.

-“What happened to the Dolton?”

-“It caught fire from the impact, I thought you’d burn down with the car, But…”

-“But what?”

-“Someone saved you at the last minute. I don’t know who it was, I could barely see him. Whoever he was, that guy’s a hero to me, and he saved my best friend.”-Jessie smiled, Katy reacted the same way. Despite her smile, Katy still wondered why some random stranger would save her, but at the same time she was glad he did so.

-“So how are you? How many bones did you break?”-Jessie said, checking how bad her friend’s wounds were.

-“It doesn’t seem like I got hurt too badly, maybe you should ask the doctor, I think he’s on a break right now or something.”-Katy said, she assumed he was on break, since he wasn’t anywhere on sight. Jessie left the room to look for the doctor, Katy tried to get up and stretch her body a little bit, it hurt but it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.

The doctor came in, he held Katy’s records and Jessie stood beside him, trying to see what’s written there. He noticed Jessie’s attempt, so he hid them before telling Katy about her medical status.

-“The x-ray scans came in recently, they revealed you got some small fractures on your upper chest and skull, luckily none of them damaged your vital organs.”-He said positively.

-“How long is she gonna stay here?”-Jessie asked.

-“I think two days should be enough, like I said, her injuries aren’t as severe as the other person who was next to her.”

-“Other person?”-Katy asked with a raised brow, she could barely remember anything from the incident.

-“The team of paramedics found another individual next to you, he was less lucky, he got injured severely on his back and chest. They didn’t find out who he was though, no records of him seem to show up on our archives.”-The doctor replied.

-“How is that even possible? How can there be nothing about him?”

-“I have no idea.”-He replied. –“Anyway, you have to stay in bed and try to move less so you’ll recover.”-He pointed at Katy with a pen. –“And you, please don’t look at my documents without permission.”-He pointed at Jessie, and left the room to deal with other patients.

-“You think they’ll let me see the guy who was next to you? If he’s the guy who saved your ass, I _gotta_ thank him.”

-“I doubt it, if he’s in a bad condition like the doctor mentioned. Besides, it could have been someone else altogether, maybe a civilian who wasn’t lucky enough to run away on time.”

-“I don’t think so, how would the guy just run off? He’s obviously the same guy!”

-“You really want to know who saved me huh?”

-“ _Duh_ , of course I fucking do!”

-“You should go ahead then, I need my rest, let me know if you find out anything.”-Katy said, smiling.  
Jessie nodded, leaving the room and letting her friend rest. As she approached the intensive care hall, she was stopped by a nurse.

-“Do you need anything ma’am?”

-“Yeah I need to get in, I gotta meet the guy from the crash.”

-“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, he’s undergoing surgery, and he can’t get visitors at least for a few hours.”  
-“Oh, never mind then.”-Jessie said, letting out a sigh and returning back to Katy’s room. Upon entering the room, she noticed that her friend fell asleep, so she decided that it’s best to let her be.

2 Days after her recovery, Katy took her things and left, though the only thing she forgot was her ID card. It was inside a drawer by the bed, she didn’t remember that her card was even there, so she forgot all about it.  
Only when she was at home, she noticed something missing. –“Where did I leave my ID card…?”-She asked while rummaging through her apartment to find the card. –“Did someone steal it when I was out?”

 

Meanwhile, Blake was trying his best to just stay in bed for once, but at the same time it was just too boring to endure. Time seemed slower, _seconds passed like minutes_ , and _minutes passed like hours_ , as if time gest slower the longer he’s in the hospital. During his days of boredom, he tried to get up and walk around the room to get some blood pumping in his legs. Despite his will to walk, it still was painful to do it, mostly because of the amounts of pressure his body suffered for the past few days.

After many, many attempts, he managed to lift himself for a few minutes before falling again. –“ ** _T-There you go…If you want to find Anderson, you gotta get your feet working again…_** ”-He said to himself, not giving up just yet, lifting himself one more time. This time however, he succeeded to hold himself longer.

Now to find a way out of the hospital was the tricky part. He had an idea, yet for it to work, he had to wait for the nurse to show up.  
He waited and waited, and she finally came in the afternoon to check up on him. As she came, he decided to try on the clothes Rico gave him, luckily they covered his wounds and he seemed like a regular person.

-“Going somewhere sir?”-The nurse asked, seeing how he was eager to leave. –“Until Doctor Bennet allows you to leave, you must stay in bed.”-She added.

-“Listen I-…Can we talk in private?”-Blake asked, he noticed how the door was still open, he wanted this conversation to be between him and her only. The nurse nodded, closing the door and coming forward to see what he had to say.

-“What is it sir?”

-“I need to get out of here, I can’t stay here any longer.”

-“I’m sorry sir, but until you’re fully recovered, you can't leave this room.”

-“Oh yes I will, and you’re going to help me.”-He replied, whispering his final lines with a threatening look in his eyes. If he wants something done, he had to be more serious, _no sympathy_ , and _no mercy_. The nurse looked at him, worried about what he has in mind.

-“You know the fire alarm button, the one which is at the end of the hall?”-He asked, she nodded slowly, shaking slightly. –“I want you to press it.”

-“Why do you want me to press it?”

-“Not your business. I’m sure that your life is worth more than what I'm about to do.”-As he finished his sentence he approached her with his hand, holding her neck tightly.

–“So don’t tell anyone about this, or I’ll put a bullet in your brain.”-He added, letting her neck go, hoping she got the message.  
The nurse nodded, leaving the room as if nothing happened. As she walked to the hall, he prepared himself, placing Katy's ID card in his pocket and getting ready to run.

She pressed the button, the alarm went off and sprinkler systems watered down every single room in the hospital. The patients were panicking and the staff members escorted them outside, this scared mob is just what Blake needed to escape. He moved quickly, despite feeling the sharp pain in his body, he couldn’t stop now or it’ll be over.

It was a big mess, the entire building was crowded with people running away and trying to get out. Blake got pushed multiple times, but he kept moving forward to the emergency exit, where he’ll be finally free.

-“ ** _I’m out…I’m out!_** ”-He said to himself with joy, panting hard, catching his breath. He didn’t stop for too long, heading away from the hospital as far as he could, finding an alley to hide in. – ** _“N-Now to find where Anderson lives._** ”-He added, checking the ID card once again. According to the card, he wasn’t too far from where she lived, though it was still a long walking distance

-“ ** _Oh for fucks sake…_** ”-He sighed deeply, putting the card back in his pocket and hurried to Katy’s apartment building. It was a chill afternoon, to keep himself warm he had to run, the most excruciating run he has ever done in his life.

His entire body was covered with sweat, and he felt that his heart was pounding faster than usual, but he couldn’t stop now. The people he came across just looked at him with a raise of a brow, they didn’t even bother asking why he was running, they just let him.

 

He finally got there, stopping at the entrance to catch his breath. –“ ** _N-Now, check the apartment n-number._** ”-He said to himself while panting, taking a look at the intercom. It had the names of every resident of the building, Katy’s name was written in the middle, with the apartment number and floor addressed on it. –“ ** _I-I don’t even know if she’s home, what if she won’t answer?_** ”-He asked again as his finger approached the button to dial to her apartment. It’s not like he had a choice, so he at least wanted to try.

He pressed the button, he could only hear some static noises, and it was silent. Then all of the sudden, he heard her voice through the intercom. –“Who is this?”-She asked, unsure why and who would visit her right now.

-“I-It’s me…”-Blake said, still panting. It didn’t take her long to realize that it was Blake’s voice through the intercom, though she still wondered what brought him here. –“I’ll explain everything, just let me in, please…”-He added, finally getting his breathing to a normal pace.

She didn’t trust him, but at the same time she wanted to know what he wanted from her. –“Fine, get in.”-She said through the intercom, unlocking the main door. Of course she couldn’t be too sure that he wouldn’t try anything against her, so she grabbed her Taser and prepared to use it as soon as he gets inside.

He was surprised to find out that the apartment building had an actual, functioning elevator. In his own, it was broken for years and nobody bothered to fix it, he felt relieved that he didn’t need to use the stairs. Inside, it looked so nice and clean, just looking at it made him feel calmer about this situation.

A knock was heard on the door, it was him. Katy looked through the peephole while holding the Taser behind her back. She slowly opened the door and noticed his rather damaged face. –“What do you want?”-She asked, ready to fire if necessary.

-“P-Please let me in, I brought something for you.”-He replied, feeling a little brittle, especially because his body hasn’t fully recovered yet.  
She wanted to lock the door and tell him to leave, though his injures made her feel a little cruel if she were to do that. It was a little hard for her to trust him, sure they talked before, though it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a criminal. She then slowly opened the door and dragged him in, to make sure nobody else in the building would notice his presence.

–“What the hell happened to you, you look like you came out of a prison cell.”-She asked, seeing his facial wounds more clearly up close.

He laughed slightly before replying. –“I’ll explain everything, but first let me give you this.”-He said, handing over the ID card to her.

-“W-What the…”-She said, gasping. –“How the fuck do you have my ID…Did you steal it from me? Did someone give it to you?!”-She added, nervous and angry simultaneously.

-“I was looking for you in the hospital, the receptionist told me you left two days ago, and that you forgot your ID in your room. So I decided, since I owe you a shit ton already, to give it back to you.”-He said, his hand scratching the back of his head.

-“What were you doing in the hospital?”

-“I got sent there after the crash…After I…Saved you.”-He said, letting out a sigh, fearing of Katy’s reaction to what he just said.

-“What?! When did you even save me…Why did you save me, what were you doing there?”-She replied, so many questions in her mind.

-“Your car was on fire after it got crashed into a tree by one of my… _Co-workers_ …When it started to smoke, I ran to your car and got you out of there before it blew up.”  
-“Aren’t you supposed to be in the hospital? You don’t look like you’ve recovered much.”-She noted his facial and chest injuries showing up from his shirt collar.

-“I got out, I’m not exactly the person who stays in one place at a time. There’s also my job, I’ve been wanting to get promoted for years now, and the only way to do that is work my ass off.”-He replied with confidence, despite that he made an entire hospital panic just so he could leave early.

-“I don’t understand, why you would bother to save me? Aren’t you from the same gang who wants me and the SPPD dead?”

-“Because I…I owe you a whole lot Anderson…”-He said, smiling. –“If it wasn’t for you, I’d be rotting in prison, getting gang raped by some horny freaks. You brought me to Rico’s, oh and you paid for my cab, not complaining about the last one.”-He added. Katy responded with a laugh from his statement about the prison.

-“You look terrible though, you honestly did all of this just for me?”-She said, passing her hand across his face to see the injuries surrounding it.

-“Yeah, almost got myself killed over it, but at least I’m not dead. Like I said-“He said, getting closer to her. –“I owe you.”-He suddenly felt a little warm beside her, though he stepped back. She looked at him, blushing, yet also confused of his actions. –“Yeah sorry about that, I don’t know what got into me, probably the medicine just now kicking in.”

-“Ha-ha, yeah…”-She said awkwardly.

-“You wouldn’t mind if I stay here tonight right? I just got here from the hospital running away like some kind of crazy fucker. I’ll just stay for tonight and then I’ll go, it’s not like I need anything else from you, at least at the moment.”  
She wanted to shove his big criminal ass out of the door, but she also didn’t want to send an injured man into the street like that. She sighed and answered: “Sure, but you’ll have to sleep on the couch.”- She then pointed at the couch with her head.

-“Looks fine by me, as long as it won’t break my back.”-He said with a laugh, looking around the house as Katy went back to put away her Taser. –“So you thought you’d need one of those? **_Please_** Anderson, I might be some evil criminal from the poor district, but I still have _some_ kind of manners.”-He commented on how she had her Taser in her hand, before she slipped it back into the drawer next to her door.

-“I don’t really _trust_ criminals, even if it’s _you_.”-She said, a little worried of his company in her home.

-“No need to defend yourself, I won’t hurt you. I don’t have a reason to do that.”-He said, letting out a chuckle.

-“This isn’t funny, you wouldn’t really trust a cop in your own house either.”

-“True. But then if it’s you, it would be alright with me.”  
She still didn’t really believe him, she had her reasons to suspect. He seemed calm enough in her home, though she was ready in case he’d try something on her.

He sat on the living room couch, letting out a sigh of relief. –“My legs are killing me…”-He said in his mind. As he tried to get comfortable he noticed something between his feet. It was Katy’s cat Mr. Fluff, sniffing the odd guest and meowling a little. –“I didn’t know you had a cat.”-He said in surprise.

He didn’t mind the cat’s presence, the cat didn’t seem to mind it either. It started to purr and rub itself around Blake’s legs. –“That’s weird, he doesn’t usually like strangers. When my friend Jessie visited me for the first time, he nearly clawed her face off.”-Katy noted upon seeing her cat’s interaction with Blake.

-“I was never a cat person, or a dog person, but this little guy is just adorable!”-He laughed, petting the purring feline. Katy looked at the two, smiling.

-“They really get along…”-She said to herself. –“Maybe I _can_ actually trust him…”-She added. –“You hungry by any chance? I’m gonna make lunch.”

-“Oh. Um sure Anderson. What we having?”

-“I could cook some spaghetti, think I got a package left somewhere.”

-“Yeah sure, why not.”-He said, smiling.

-“You should get yourself a little cleaned up. Your body is covered with dry blood.”

-“Yeah on the way I think I might’ve opened a wound or two. Where’s your shower?”

-“At the end of the corridor, and it’s a bathtub.”

-“Heh, you **_are_** rich.”

-“It’s _just_ a tub.”-She said, laughing a little.


	20. Hosting a monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay in chapters, but at the moment I'm doing my best to release as many chapters as I can before writer's block returns for a comeback. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter! :3

Blake entered the bathroom, it looked really clean and fancy, he really thought Katy was rich just by the way the room appeared. He undressed, getting inside and turning on the tap.

–“Wow, she has warm water, last time I had a warm bath was back when I was a little kid.”-He said to himself, feeling the warmth. –“This feels so goddamn good, almost as good as sex.”-He added, letting out a chuckle and leaning to the back of the tub as the water filled it. The dry blood faded from the skin, making the water slightly redder.

As he cleaned himself up, Katy was getting ready to serve the meal. Apparently Blake was there for quite a long time. –“He sure likes my bathroom, maybe he could sleep in the tub instead.”-She thought, giggling. Once turning off the stove, she placed two portions of spaghetti in the two plates, placing them on the table. –“I should tell him lunch is ready.”-She added, heading to the bathroom.

He enjoyed the warm water so much, he almost fell asleep. Suddenly the peaceful silence in the room was interrupted by a knock on the door. –“Lunch is ready.”-She said through the door. Blake was too relaxed he didn’t even reply. She sighed. –“Don’t tell me he fell asleep in the tub…”-She said to herself before opening the door to see what he was up to.

-“Jesus Anderson! What are you doing in here?!”-He snapped out of his high, yelling at her.

-“You didn’t say anything, so I thought you fell asleep or something.”

-“I was just relaxing.”-He said, letting out a sigh. –“Fine I’ll get out.”-He added, raising himself from the tub.

-“OH GOD!”-She yelped, covering her eyes quickly. –“ ** _PLEASE PUT ON A TOWEL, OR SOMETHING I DON’T KNOW, JUST COVER IT UP PLEASE_ _._** ”

-“Calm down Anderson, it’s just my dick.”-He said, laughing from her squeamish reaction. –“What, you never saw a penis before?”-He added, mockingly.

-“ ** _F-Fuck off_ _._** ”-She shivered. –“J-Just get to the kitchen when you’re dressed.”-She added, still with an arm on her eyes.  
He continued to laugh until she closed the door. When she finally left the room, he took out a towel from the rack and dried himself, putting back on his clothes and heading to the kitchen. –“ ** _Psh, I’ll miss this room, maybe one day I’ll steal this tub and take it back to my place._** ”-He thought to himself upon exiting the room and heading to Katy.

 

She noticed how different he looked after cleaning himself up, a little attractive in her taste, but as attractive as a criminal can be. The first thing he noticed in the kitchen was the smell of fresh food in front of him, he wasn’t exactly used to well-made food. –“Damn, that smells really good.”

-“Thanks, though it’s just spaghetti, nothing special about it.”  
He sat down, taking the fork in his hand and starting to eat his meal. –“You got any ketchup by any chance?”

-“Yeah, it’s in the fridge.”-She pointed at the fridge with the fork. He nodded and picked up the bottle of ketchup to add some extra flavor to the meal.  
He was chewing like crazy, Katy felt overwhelmed on how he enjoyed the simple meal of spaghetti and ketchup. –“Damn Anderson, this is the best meal I ever had.”-He stopped eating for a short time to compliment her.

-“Thanks, though it’s really easy to make, it doesn’t take a _master chef_   to make this meal.”

-“It’s still pretty fucking good, this comes from the guy who ate nothing but Chinese food for 3 months on his first year of work. Compared to that, this is like eating one of those, fancy-ass gourmet meals.”

She let out a laugh, she didn’t think she ever saw a man so happy to eat a simple meal such as this one, though his happiness made her happy as well. Despite enjoying his entertaining company, she was still a little skeptical about letting him stay the night in her own apartment. It’s hard to forget that deep down, he’s still the same criminal who could gladly kill her in her sleep, or rob all of her valuables.

Without hesitation, once they were both done eating, Blake took charge of the dishes and placed them in the sink. He grabbed a sponge from beneath the tap, and washed the tiny scraps of food off the plates. –“I can wash my own dishes, you don’t have to do this for me.”

-“Yeah I know, but hey, you fed me Anderson. And what better way to say ‘thank you’ than cleaning up afterwards?”

She smiled, feeling that maybe him staying for one night won’t hurt too much. Yet then, she remembered how as a child, her father always told her about how dangerous criminals like Blake are. They were so dangerous that she couldn’t go to school alone, her father had to driver her there all the time, to keep her safe. It was hard not to forget the menacing faces some criminals had as she looked through the window of the car, she felt brave at the time, though even bravery couldn’t prevent her from being a little afraid.

Blake walked to the couch to take a seat, he limped a little as he walked, and his legs weren’t exactly cooperating with him walking all the time. Mr. Fluff gladly joined him, purring on his lap and meowling softly. He seemed so calm in Katy’s eyes, as if he is innocent and will never harm anyone, yet he obviously did many times in his life. Just looking at his facial scars proved to her that he fought a lot, and he wasn’t a person who just gives up on an easy target.

-“Blake.”-She approached him from behind, he turned around and looked at her while petting the cat.

-“Yes Anderson?”

-“I-I don’t know how to say this, but I just will. You can’t stay here.”-As she finished her words Blake wondered why she changed her mind all of the sudden.

-“How come? What did I do?

-“You didn’t do anything, well, you didn’t do anything here. But, you are responsible for so many crimes, I don’t know who else you killed besides Natalie, and I’m even scared to look at the list. **_You’re a criminal Blake_** , and keeping you here endangers both of us, I think it’s best if I just give you some cab fare and I’ll send you back home.”

-“Come on Anderson. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done that by now. You’re still alive, which proves my point.”

-“Still, you can understand why I have trust issues with you. It’s not like you’d let some random cop sleep in your apartment without worrying at least once.”  
Before answering, he let out a deep sigh.

–“Look, this is my job. I do what I need to do to live, I kill people and steal from them **_because that’s what I do_ _._** I don’t criticize you for choosing your job…I had my reasons to join the Blood Roses.”

She was silent, thinking about what he just said. –“Look, I’m gonna stay here for one night, then I’ll get out of your hair for good, if that’s what you want. I don’t have my gun on me, or anything else that can hurt you, I’m too injured to fight anyway. I just need to rest here and that’s all, first thing in the morning you are welcome to kick me out.”

-“Fine, you can stay.”-She sighed, started to feel she might regret that decision.

The afternoon passed like a second, as soon as they were done Katy gave him some basic chores he could do around the house. Sure he was injured, but she could use the extra hand. Once the chores were done it was getting darker outside.

-“Let me put on some bandages on your wounds.”-She said with a rather gentle tone, holding the first aid kit in her arm. He nodded slowly, letting her treat him. He took off his shirt, revealing the wounds from the crash, she was surprised how many scars he had on his chest from other fights, and recent ones that just came in. –“How the hell are you not dead yet? You look like you’re going to die any second now.”

-“I got used to these pretty quickly, a lot of these scars I got from accidents. Like this one, I got from Rico who accidentally cut the wrong side of my arm, but I didn’t mind, he did it when he was just starting to be a doctor.”

-“What about the ones on your face?”-She patched up his chest area while waiting for his reply.

-“That’s…Personal.”-He sighed, lowering his head.

-“Oh…”-She looked down for a second before finishing her treatment and stepping back. –“There. You can put your clothes back on.”  
It was getting late, Katy planned to sleep early, who knows what kind of emergency might happen tomorrow. –“Why so early? It’s only 10 pm.”

-“I have work tomorrow, and sometimes I get called early. You should get some rest too. Here, I brought you a blanket for you to sleep with on the couch.”- Blake thanked her, taking the blanket and spreading it.

 

Before heading to bed, Katy took a shower and brushed her teeth, meanwhile Blake was trying to get some rest, but the couch didn’t seem to agree with him. When he tried lying down, he felt like he was lying on a hard rocky pillow. Not to mention that the couch was smaller than him, so his feet were hovering above the floor. He tried turning his body around, yet even then it didn’t feel comfortable at all.

She walked to her bedroom, ignoring Blake’s struggle with the couch. She was too tired to care, and wanted to come in contact with the soft mattress already. But he couldn’t take it anymore, he sneaked into her bedroom, hoping that she slept on a double bed. As he saw the size of it, he felt relived, but also a little nervous. Who wouldn’t be nervous, sleeping beside the same person who could have you killed you and will do it any day?

In Blake’s eyes, she was deep asleep, the perfect time for him to lay down on the other half of the bed. Her body was leaning to the left, her back blocking her vision of him. He gently lowered his body onto the mattress, grabbing the blanket and getting comfortable. –“ ** _This bed is so soft…Maybe I could also steal her bed, and replace it with mine, though she’d probably notice the difference._** ”-He said to himself before closing his eyes slowly and falling asleep.

In the morning, he found himself awkwardly close to Katy. He liked his fair share of warm female company, though he didn’t think it would be a cop from all people. Despite being in the odd position, he didn’t mind it and continued to sleep for a little longer. Katy only woke up after a few short seconds, gasping quietly upon seeing Blake’s face as she opened her eyes. –“ ** _Why is he so close to me…_** ”-She wondered. But, at the same time, a criminal in her bed isn’t exactly what she expected to see lying next to her.

She couldn’t believe that he was in her bed, after precisely telling him to stay on the couch, it’s like he doesn’t even listen to rules at all. Though for a criminal, it does make sense not to obey them. She started to feel angry, wanting to throw him off her apartment.

-“ ** _Get up!_** ”-She yelled, pushing him away from her.

-“U-Ugh, what? What did I do?”

-“ ** _Why the fuck are you in my bed?!_** ”

He yawned deeply before answering. –“Look Anderson, let me explai-“

-“ ** _Go, NOW._** ”-She angered, opening her bedroom door and pointing at the entrance.

-“Let me make you some coffee then, before I go. On the way I’ll explain what happened.”  
She was pretty angry at what happened, she wanted to kick him out but at the same time felt that maybe she was a little too harsh. So, without thinking twice, she nodded in agreement, sighing and slowly walking to the bathroom. Once inside, she washed her face and tried to get herself together. While she was there, Blake went to the kitchen to brew the coffee for himself and for her.

-“ ** _Who knew she’d get this mad…She’s probably just tired or something_ _._** ”-He thought while preparing. –“ ** _Though yeah… I would react the same way if I saw some random chick on my bed._** ”

She got dressed and walked to the kitchen, took her drink from the counter and sat down. –“You could have at least slept a little further from me.”-She said quietly, sipping her drink gently.

-“I wasn’t trying to touch you, if that’s what you were thinking. I don’t need that stuff, at least right now.”-He decided to sit down with her, so he took the other mug and joined her. –“I’m not some kind of pervert, I just move randomly in my sleep.”

-“So you decided to sleep next to a woman you barely know?”-She frowned.

-“Hey, it’s not like I don’t know who you are _at all_. I’ve known you for like what, a month now? So yeah, we do know each other a little bit.”

-“That doesn’t mean you are allowed to sleep in my own bed without my permission.”-She said in a grumpy tone, lowering her eyes and looking on the table.

–“Just…Finish your coffee and leave… I don’t want to see you here any longer.”-She gave him 20$. –“Here, take a cab and get out of my sight. Criminals like _you_ put my life in danger every goddamn day, I don't want another _problem_ in my hands." 

Blake understood that he wasn’t wanted here anymore, but before he got up, he said something that changed her mind.

–“I saved you, and this is how you repay me? Treating me like shit for no reason, just because you think I’m dangerous to you?”-He then stood up and walked to the door. –“You know what? Fine, I’ll leave.”-He opened the door, whispering final words. –“I should have left you to die in the crash.” –He left, slamming the door.

The slam echoed through the hallway, Katy felt ashamed, but it was essentially for the greater good. Just talking to a criminal is a risk, knowing one on a personal level is something she couldn’t afford much longer. –“It had to be done…He would have killed me otherwise.”

She tried to ignore what just happened, she brushed her teeth and while doing so she circled around the apartment with the toothbrush in her mouth. She kept thinking about what happened before he left. –“Was it the right thing? Maybe I was a little too hard on him…N-No, he deserves this treatment, he’s a criminal, it’s not like he would treat me any better.”

This whole argument between what’s right and wrong went on throughout the work day, she could barely focus on her job. The growing feeling of confidence, that she got rid of him made her pleased, then again it slowly declined into unsureness and confusion about her actions. Jessie noticed her friend’s random swings during work, and tried to cheer her up by taking her to lunch. It was hard for Jessie to keep Katy focused again, she kept on talking and convincing, but Katy was still in deep inside her mind.


	21. Forgive or Forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back on my feet, posting chapters and actually writing for once.  
> Again, if you feel like there are some grammatical errors, please let me know! Not to mention if the story has any plotholes that need to be patched up.

Katy got back home from work, still thinking about what happened in the morning. Her phone vibrated, She had a new message from Jessie:

“Hey, I don’t know what happened to you, but if you need my help feel free to call me.”

She texted back: “It was nothing, just a rough day.”

“If you say so, I hope you’ll feel a little better tomorrow.”

Hearing her friend’s kind words, made her feel calmer about the whole situation she had in the morning. Thanks to her calm mood, she understood something- she treated Blake like crap, and she wasn’t really thankful for him risking his life for her. She was so angry there, that she couldn’t tell the difference between Blake and a real, cold hearted criminal.

She then remembered how they enjoyed each other’s company yesterday, how Blake didn’t mind helping around the house even though he was injured, and that for once, he seemed happy to be by her side. Those memories made her feel guilty, she knew what she had to do now. –“ ** _I_ _gotta apologize, that’s the least I could do…_** ”- She then took out her phone, seeing if his number is still on her list.

-“ ** _Come on, pick up…_** ”-She said to herself, hearing nothing but a dialing beep through the line. Suddenly the beeping stopped.  
Blake sighed though the line. –“What is it? You want to tell me how terrible I am and how much you can’t wait to put me behind bars? You took a simple mistake so goddamn seriously, I don’t get you at all Anderson…”-He said, unsure about what Katy might feel about him.

-“B-Blake…Look, I’m…”-She said quietly.

-“You’re what? A huge asshole? Yeah you are, don’t have to tell me twice.”

-“No. I’m sorry, you’re right. I didn’t have to get so pissed off at you.”

-“Why should I even-

-“There’s another thing, thank you for saving me. I am grateful for it, I really am, though please understand that I still have some trust issues with you.”

-“That’s all I wanted, now was that so hard? Nope. Good to know you at least care about it.”

-“You owed me, now I owe you.”-She stopped for a second. –“So, what do you want in return?”

-“You already did what I wanted, you gave me a place to stay. Well, before you kicked my ass out of it. But if it wasn’t for you, I would’ve spent the night on a parking bench. Also, if you want me to pay back the 20 dollars just say so.”

-“Nah, there’s no need to. Are we good? Or you still wish I were dead?”

-“Yeah, guess I got a little carried away with what I said. If you were dead, then I’d still be in the hospital, tied to tubes and doing nothing all day.”-He said, letting out a chuckle. –“You are one motivating person, you know that Anderson? You made a man like myself, risk his own criminal life for you. And I did that all because I owed you one, well, not only that…”-

-“What else then?”

-“I got a confession to make, now bear with me. I think we might have some kind of connection, we don’t mind each other’s company in a room. We didn’t really argue last night, I admit though, when you shrieked in the bathroom it was the best moment of my life.”

-“Fuck off!”-She couldn’t resist, cursing and laughing on the side.

-“See Anderson? I don’t think we need to argue, we could still be in contact.”

-“I’m surprised that you actually don’t want to kill me anymore, I bet you used to think about that a whole lot.”

-“Yeah, I used to. But hey, you saved my ass and I saved yours, it’s better for us to stick together than to fight all the time.”- The conversation went silent for a moment, then Blake remembered that he had some work to do. –“I gotta go Anderson, got some jobs to do today, talk to you later.”-They both hung up, going to their jobs and working as usual.

 

Thanks to the pleasant conversation, Katy felt happier than ever, it looked strange, but she didn’t mind it. Jessie noticed her mood as well, relieved that her friend finally returned to her own self again. –“Thank god you’re better now, I thought I’d have to deal with sappy sally all week!”

-“Oh please, I’m not always _that_ sad Jess.”

-“Anyway, good to have you back to normal. Come on, let’s go kick some criminal ass.”-Jessie escorted her to the bulletin board, checking on any specific cases they could do, when Katy glanced at the Wanted list, she thought for a second that Blake was mentioned there. –“You been looking on that list for a while, you want to hunt town some wanted guys?”

-“I was just thinking about something, I thought I saw a familiar face there.”

-“Yeah, you see ugly motherfuckers like these _every day_ , hard to forget those faces.”-Jessie glanced at the photos of the wanted criminals, they all had the same angry expression with a bunch of facial tattoos, piercings, and weird haircuts. Jessie and Katy then picked a random mission from the bulletin board, it was related to a robbery not too far from the station. A lot of the missions that were listed on the board, were mostly tasks and simple jobs that any enforcer could do, combat missions were surprisingly low this week.

 

Meanwhile, Blake was doing a lot of combat related tasks, mostly taking out “unwanted company”- basically people that the Blood Roses didn’t like, they rarely send mid ranks like Blake for these kind of jobs. But it seems that Byron, alongside the other contacts from the gang, were impressed of Blake’s determination to work, despite of his condition. Maxwell was helping on the side too, after all, that’s what friends do. –“I see you’re finally getting some respect from your contacts.”-Maxwell approached Blake, complimenting him.

-“Yep, didn’t expect for them to give me these kind of missions though. Do you think they’ll give me that promotion yet?”

-“Probably not, the missions you do aren’t that challenging, any idiot with a gun can take those guys down. Maybe they’re preparing something better for you.”

-“I hope so, I’ve been working my ass off, and I deserve this promotion.”

-“I think you deserve it too, but if I were you, I’d be more patient.”

-“Could you maybe tell them to pick up the pace? I can’t wait anymore…”

-“I doubt they’ll listen to me, I’m not exactly a contact myself, who knows maybe they will.”-Maxwell smirked lightly.

 

A month passed after the mission at the park, the Blood Roses still stayed silent about giving Blake anything new. The month passed quickly for him, he barely felt any changes. During that month, Blake decided to try and develop his relationship with Katy. After what happened between them back at Katy’s place, he wanted to fix his mistakes and get to know her a little better.

While working, Katy received a text message from Blake, an unexpected one. –“Hey Anderson, wanna hang out tonight? I thought maybe we could patch things up between us a little, what do you say?”

She blushed once reading the whole message, she didn’t tell anyone about what happened between them, nor did she tell that she’s slowly developing feelings for him. –“ ** _I can’t possibly agree to this…_** ”-She thought to herself, skeptic about her reply. –“ ** _Though I was a huge jerk that night, I gotta fix this too._** ”-She finally agreed with herself, replying that she’ll show up. Once Blake received her answer, he told her where to meet him tonight.

 

Just getting ready to meet Blake made her nervous, unsure of what she should wear, and if it’s a good idea to carry a pistol just in case. Even though they barely talked as the month passed, she felt like it was only yesterday that they first met. She regretted about not making the first move during that month of silence, but she was busy with her job and personal responsibilities.

-“ ** _Calm down Katy, he only wants to talk…You don’t have to freak out so much, Jesus…_** ”-She tried to calm herself down a little, after all there was no reason for her to be this nervous, but at the same time, it’s been a while since they talked face to face.

Unlike Katy’s nervous behavior, Blake was calmer, feeling excited to meet her again. Like always, he tends to plan ahead, so he planned this meeting ahead too. One of the first things he wanted to do was at least have a decent conversation with her, get things fixed up, and maybe if he gets the chance, show some affection.  
He felt something, every time he’d remember her, he felt warm just thinking of it. _He liked her_. Just feeling like this also made him guilty, it’s not easy to forget that she’s still technically his enemy, and just liking her could lead him to trouble.

–“ ** _If anyone finds out that I even like her, I’m done for… I could lose everything…My job, my life…Is it worth it?_** ”-He thought to himself, reconsidering his feelings, a decision like this could affect his life forever.

That question haunted him for the rest of the day, until he had to head out to meet her. He finally arrived to the destination, after taking a long-ass cab ride, the driver wasn’t exactly planning to let Blake out of the cab without an extra free, the criminal fee. Though the service was crap, Blake didn’t have a car so he sighed deeply and gave the driver his lousy 19 dollars. – ** _“Damn these assholes always know the exact price…_** ”-He mumbled silently, the driver noticed his mouthing and chose to ignore it, criminals tend to trash talk taxi drivers all the time.

Katy was already there, standing in the meeting place. Blake told her to meet at the downtown area, it looked a little shady in Katy’s eye, but she shrug it off and dealt with it. Around her were a bunch of small shops of all kinds, a small park in the middle, and one fast food joint in the middle. –“Wu’s… _Buffoon_?”-She read the sign above the restaurant, the name itself made her giggle, it sounded really weird in her head.

Blake walked to the meeting place, seeing how Katy’s already there. He noticed her reaction to the sign, he let out a laugh as well, and she turned around once noticing him. –“How long were you standing there?”-She asked, embarrassed a little.

-“I just got here, I don’t know if you did anything else besides laughing at a sign. So I guess _that’s_ how cops entertain themselves nowadays.”

-“S-Shut up!”-She shrugged, wanting to punch his face, but the blood might ruin her outfit. For once, she wasn’t wearing her uniform, instead she decided to wear something more casual. A gray jacket with matching jeans, and a small purse hanging from her shoulder.

-“You should _really_ wear stuff like this more often.”-Blake complimented, Katy didn’t think he was serious there, she thought he was playing around again. –“You look less like an enemy, and more like a person, I like it.”-He added, chuckling.

-“So, is there a reason you brought me to this place? It’s not exactly the best spot to meet…I _am_ a cop after all.”

-“If _I_ were you, I wouldn’t say the word ‘cop’ around these parts. People here don’t like the SPPD, most of them are wanted criminals in hiding.”-Blake said in a silenced tone, he didn’t want the people around him to know that she is a cop.-“I brought you here for a reason, if we are gonna talk about patching our relationship up, might as well get some grub on the side.”

He escorted her to a table, it looked rather old and dirty, but at least it wasn’t broken. –“I’ll go get us some food, and then we can start the chit-chat. For now, just relax, and enjoy the view.”-He said sarcastically. The downtown area wasn’t exactly the most beautiful part of San Paro, but at least it was trying to look half-decent at best.

As Blake was ordering their food, Katy thought back on how they first met. She didn’t think that the same psychopath from the harbor is the same guy who’s offering her food. Though she can’t forget that she was sympathetic to him that day, instead of sending him to rot in prison, she let him off with a warning. A part of her felt that it was a mistake she’ll regret, another part thought otherwise, that maybe this could develop into a good thing.

-“There ya go.”-Blake handed over a tray with some small Chinese dishes. –“It’s not some kind of gourmet bullshit, but it tastes good enough.”- Katy poked the dish with a fork, picking up a small piece and tasting it. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad.

-“Hmm, not too bad for downtown food. I expected it to be expired or covered in mold.”-She giggled while stuffing herself with food.

-“Nah, some people actually care about what they serve here. But the guys at the store around the corner rip you off completely. One time I went there to buy a DVD, I was bored that day so I wanted to watch a movie. The box itself looked real enough, until I put the CD inside, only to find out that it’s some shitty porn adaptation of the movie. But, since I was bored anyway, I decided to watch it through. **_NEVER_** in my life, was my dick this disappointed of a porn movie.”-Blake let out a few laughs while telling her his experience, she followed, accidentally spilling food out of her mouth.

-“Damn Anderson, you can’t even eat right.”-He mocked.

-“Shut up _Price_.”

-“Hey, my name’s _Blake_.”

-“So it’s okay for you to call me by my last name?”-Katy frowned, wanting to throw the tray on his face.

-“Yes.”-He laughed, Katy responded by taking an egg-roll and throwing it on his face. Blake took a small slice of lettuce and threw it on her face, laughing even harder. –“ _Nice_ mustache Anderson!”


	22. Know your enemy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally back after a long hiatus of not writing anything for a month, but now because I'm here expect more chapters to come!
> 
> -Sprinkle

-“ ** _F-Fuck you!_** ”-She laughed, throwing the lettuce from her face, feeling a little playful. -“Wait until I spill my drink on you, that’ll be funny.”

-“Definitely, then I’ll come back home looking like a walking salad.”

They eventually finished their meal, Blake stood up and backing up a little to smoke. –“You don’t mind me smoking right?”

-“Nah, go ahead. Aren’t criminals supposed to be in shape? You don’t look like you’re making yourself any stronger.”

-“I _am_ pretty strong, I just smoke to relax, unwind a little. If you’d work in a gang, you’d realize how much stress you have every goddamn day. I know smoking kills and all that crap, but it’s not like I’m gonna live a long life anyway. Criminals like me usually end up dead in their 4 th year, you could say I was just lucky not to die that early.”-He lowered his head a little, talking about these kinds of things makes him a little uneasy.

-“I’m sorry for asking, clearly it doesn’t make you feel any better.”

-“Don’t worry about me too much Anderson, I’ll handle it. Just talking about this with you, does make me feel a little better about it.”-He smiled, finishing his smoke and stepping on the cigarette.

-“So, _is_ there a reason why we met here specifically?”

-“Yeah, there is. I used to eat at Wu’s Buffoon all the time, back when I first joined the Blood Roses, I didn’t have a lot of food in my fridge, so I ate out. Money was scarce, there were days when I was starving all day, I had to get used to it eventually. This place brings back memories, not exactly the best kind, but hey, at least the food is still good after all these years.”

-“Why is it called that?”-She asked, curious about the name.

-“The owner, Peng Wu got here from China back when I was just a kid, he was starting his business when I was that young. He was successful as hell, the downtown area actually used to have a lot of people. That changed when the first criminal gangs took over the place, a lot of those gangs are long gone, but they still have connections here. When that happened, Peng’s only costumers were criminals and poor people, it’s still the same today.”

-“Well I have to admit, his food is really good.”-Katy smiled, feeling the after-taste of the meal in her mouth.

-“Hell yeah, I said the same thing when I bought my first meal. ‘Couldn’t imagine this joint to have good, cheap food.”

When she heard of his past days, a question popped out of curiosity. –“How _was_ is back in the day?”

-“To put it lightly, it was shit. Crap, terrible, an unforgiving stage of my life. But, I met some good people, people like Rico, the guy at the clinic. We met when we were kids, we used to live in the poor district, he still operates there though, and I’m pretty sure he has an apartment somewhere in the center by now.”-He said, letting out a sigh once having small flashing memories of his childhood run through his mind.

-“There were some other kids too, who grew up to be either Blood Roses or G-Kings, sadly the ones who joined the Blood Roses are dead by now. The G-King guys, I have no clue if they’re still alive.”-He added.

-“How did you meet those other kids?”

-“In the poor district, I was raised in the local orphanage, and went for training in the elementary school we had. That school didn’t teach us math, science and all that crap, it taught us how to become criminals. It taught us the basics of reading and writing, but mostly it was on how to kill people and fire a weapon.”

Katy gasped silently when she heard that Blake used to live in an orphanage. –“You’re an orphan?”

-“Yeah…Sort of.”-He sighed. –“My mom is still alive. She serves her time in prison for child neglect, and I think she's still there. My dad, well…My dad OD’d in the bathroom when I was very young, I can hardly remember his face.”-He looked at Katy, the expression on her face said it all. It was hard to hear these things coming out of Blake’s mouth.

-“What did she do before getting caught?”-She asked. –“If you don’t want to continue just let me know, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

-“It’s okay Anderson, no need to feel sorry for me, I’m not ashamed of telling people the truth.”-He then continued. –“My dad used to be a popular drug lord in the poor district, selling and distributing them around the city. I didn’t even know he was one, until one of the guys at the ‘school’ told me, he used to know him. According to him, my mom was a stripper at a rundown club downtown, and that’s also where they first met. My dad was apparently getting a lot of cash from his business, but still lived in a shitty apartment building to keep a low profile.”-He became a little frustrated, taking out another cigarette and lighting it to smoke. –“Let’s just say that those two idiots don’t know how to raise a child.”-He stopped for a minute, stroking the large scar on his cheek, remembering how he first got it.

-“I wondered where that scar on your eye came from…”-She said in a gentle tone, looking at the way Blake stroked his cheek.-“I thought at first you got it from a mission or something.”

-“The smaller one, yes.”-He pointed to another, smaller scar on the right side of his cheek. –“That was when a bullet passed through my cheek, made one hell of a mark on it. The other ones I got are mostly on my chest and legs.”-He added, revealing small scars on the top of his chest. –“Though this one is fresh, I got it from the crash…”-He then stopped for a minute, looking at her.

-“I’m sorry you had to get hurt for me…”-She felt a little embarrassed upon noticing the huge scar on Blake’s chest.

-“Don’t be, it’s not your fault Anderson. Nobody knew this would happen.”-He then decided to change the subject, talk about how he got the bigger scar on his face. –“Anyway, this one I got from my parents. When I was around 3 years old, my dad got really drunk one night, and my mom was on her shift. He was just slacking on the couch, drinking beer and watching TV. Then I started crying, my dad tried to ignore me, until he finally snapped. He broke one of the empty beer bottles, and threw one at me so I’d shut up. Obviously that didn’t work.”

-“Ouch…”-Katy commented in silence.

-“Yep…Ouch…And that’s how I got my scar. When my neighbors found out about what happened, they snitched on my parents. My dad OD’d before they took him away, he did it to get away with his crime.”-He sighed again, throwing the cigarette from his hand, stepping on it. –“My mom was no saint either, they both were equally guilty, but she was the only one who got arrested. I was taken away from them, got sent to the only orphanage in San Paro that accepted ‘criminal children’, it was located in the poor district, where all the criminal folk lived.”

Blake was feeling terrible, his head was lowered, and both of his hands covering his face from frustration. Katy wanted him to feel better, so she decided to risk it, and hugged the criminal in front of her. Instead of trying to pull her away from him, Blake hugged her back, calming down in her embrace. –“Thanks Anderson…”-He let go of her, feeling better.

He then had a crazy idea, crazy enough that it might actually work. While Katy’s eyes locked with his, he quickly gave her a small kiss on the cheek.  –“Thanks Anderson, for _everything_.”-He whispered

She didn’t say a word, she only blushed and looked at him, surprised.

Katy couldn’t believe what just happened, a guy, not just any guy- a criminal, kissed her. –“I-I can’t believe he just kissed me…Snap out of it Katy! He’s a criminal, get out of there while you still can!”-She started to argue in her mind about what she should do, then she came to the conclusion.

-“B-Blake…”-She said softly. –“I-I should go…It’s getting late and I got work tomorrow.”-She added, letting go of his grip, feeling embarrassed by what just happened. –“Good night…”

He looked at her from a distance, feeling disappointed from the way she just left without a reason. –“Anderson.”-He mouthed, sighing. Without a choice, he slowly walked to the nearby road, looking for a cab to get him home. During his ride, he looked at the roof of the car, sighing and covering his face with his hands. -“Why did I do that…I fucked it up even more, good job Blake.”-He thought.

 

Blake got off the cab, and went inside the apartment building, going upstairs to reach his place. He walked slowly, with one hand closed in a shape of a fist, the other moving along the handrail. He felt like punching something from frustration and anger. He stopped, punched the wall next to the door, and walked inside like nothing happened.

His hand was covered in debris, and started to bleed. To stop the bleeding, he rolled a towel around it. –“ ** _G-GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!_** ”-He then snapped, his scream was heard through the entire hallway. –“ ** _Y_ _OU’RE SUCH AN IDIOT, LOOK WHAT YOU DID BLAKE, LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!_** ”-He continued to yell, pointing at his injured hand. He eventually stopped yelling and screaming at himself, calming down and heading straight to bed.

Katy got back home, confused, unsure of how to feel about what happened there. She could still smell Blake’s scent of cigarettes and gun powder. Her hand gently stroked the spot where he kissed her, thinking to herself. –“ ** _This isn’t good…You can’t see him anymore, if you do it’ll continue, then there’s no way back…You’re obviously his next target, like he did with Natalie, it could happen to you…You can’t trust him…_** ”-Those thoughts ran through her head all night, keeping her restless.

 

On the next day, Blake woke up to the sound of his phone vibrating, a message from Byron. –“ ** _Report to the H.Q ASAP, I got an assignment for you._** ”-Blake sighed, he still felt like crap from yesterday night, he wanted to fix things between him and Katy, but he only made things worse. Without a choice, he got up and walked to the kitchen to get some grub before heading out.


	23. The Plan

Blake arrived at the building, crowded as always. Byron was chatting with a small team of criminals, discussing mission plans.

He approached Byron, on the way he wiped his eyes and let out a soft yawn. –“You wanted to see me sir?”

Byron stopped chatting with the others, he turned around and nodded. –“Yeah, I got a mission for you, it’s about your promotion.”

Just hearing the word “Promotion” made Blake more satisfied, finally the wait is over. –“What took you guys so long to plan me something?”

-“The boss was busy, took us a while to think of something, until we got the perfect idea.”-Byron stopped, standing next to Blake. –“You my friend, are going to perform a heist.”

-“A heist?”-Blake raised his brow, confused. –“That’s it, a heist? Well… _That’s_ pretty easy.”

-“Not just any normal heist, the _Parley_ heist.”-As Byron finished his words, the criminals around him started to whisper, shocked from what they just heard. –“ ** _There’s no way he’s gonna do it!_** ”-One criminal shouted. “ ** _I_ _t’s too dangerous, he’ll chicken out! Let me do it instead!_** ”-Another added, others joined them, arguing with Byron’s idea.

-“ ** _SHUT UP, all of you!_** ”-He shouted, slamming the table with his hands. –“This is Blake’s job, not yours.”-He turned back to Blake. –“As I was saying, you will do the Parley mansion heist, you have three days to prepare.”

Blake felt this was a little too easy, judging on how the others commented. –“So what’s the catch?”

-“It’s gonna be hard, if you really want to become one of the Elite members, you gotta prove us you’re worthy for that title.”-Byron replied. –“In fact, nobody in the gang has made it out of that mansion, they either got prison for life or were shot on sight.”

The criminals surrounding Blake were whispering between each other again. –“If you don’t want the mission, it’s alright by me. But remember, this is your last chance to prove yourself. If you’ll make it out alive, the promotion is yours, if you don’t…It was nice having you here.”

This info wasn’t exactly enough for Blake. –“Is there anything else I need to know?”

-“Maxwell will provide you with the rest, but the heist, you’ll have to do alone.”-Byron noted.

-“Alright, I’m in.”-Blake accepted the offer.

-“Good luck, _**you’re gonna need it**_.”-Byron smirked, the criminals around him chuckled, knowing that Blake won’t survive there.

 

Later in the day, Blake met Maxwell in a small café not too far from H.Q. –“So, what do I need to know about the Parley mansion?”-Blake asked Maxwell silently, looking around to make sure nobody’s eavesdropping on them.

-“First of all, that place is heavily guarded, Justin pays a lot of money to his guards, anything to keep his vault safe.”

-“He has a vault in his own house?! Isn’t he the same guy who owns one of the banks in San Paro?”

-“He _is_ the same guy, I don’t know _why_ he put a giant safe in his own house, but it’s probably criminal bait. Either that or he _doesn’t_ trust his own bank.”-Maxwell shrugged. –“He is aware of criminals trying to break in, so he always makes it harder and harder for them.”

-“How am _I_ gonna get in then?”

-“You’ll have to climb the fence.”-Maxwell took out a blueprint of the Parley mansion, it was marked with an exact path on how to get inside. –“There are a bunch of trees next to it, climb the tree and jump from it to get to the other side. Make sure to not be seen _at all_. If you spot a guard, kill him on sight, you can’t let your guard down.”-Blake let out a laugh. –“You said, _guard_ down? _Really_?”

Maxwell sighed. –“Come on dude, be serious here. If you won’t listen you’ll get killed out there, just like the other guys.”

-“Other guys?”

-“You’re not the only one who wanted to do this heist. In fact, a whole bunch of people wanted to do it. _But_ , because they didn’t _listen_ to my tactics and decided to improvise on the spot, they’re no longer with us. A lot of them didn’t make it, only a small number is alive, the only thing they’ll see in their life are prison cells.”

-“What about you? You plan this so well, but you never actually go out and do the heist yourself.”-Blake asked.

-“I’m not gonna do it. It’s too risky for a guy of my rank to just go out there, I’m not physically strong enough to do it myself, unlike you. Also, I don’t need the money and the promotion like you do, it makes perfect sense for someone like you to do it instead.”

-“’Guess you’re right.”

Maxwell continued to explain Blake the plan, he pointed towards every direction drawn on the blueprints, guiding him step by step.

-“Wait, hold on”-Maxwell paused, feeling his phone vibrate from his pocket. –“Hello? Right now? I’m busy…What do you mean it can’t wait…Oh for fucks sake…”-Maxwell hung up, sighing. –“Here, keep the blueprints, study them at home. I gotta go.”

-“Where?”-Blake raised a brow, it was all so sudden.

-“None of your business, just study the blueprints.”-Before he completely left, he had another thing to add. –“Oh and, come by Rico’s Place tomorrow, we’ll need his help too.”-He finished his sentence, stood up and left the café.

-“How is Rico gonna help us?”-Blake asked himself. He then noticed how Maxwell rushed to his car. –“ ** _HEY MAXWELL!_** ”-He shouted, but Maxwell didn’t answer, he already drove off.

Blake sighed, wondering how is he going go study those blueprints alone, especially if the only guide in town is always busy with his own work.

He went back home, with the blueprints in his hands, trying to figure out the rest for himself, which wasn’t so easy. Maxwell’s writing was really sloppy, felt like reading a doctor’s note, the only thing Blake could understand were the arrows pointing on each location in the mansion.

 

Meanwhile, Katy was doing her casual SPPD work, with Jessie tagging along. She still thought of her experience with Blake yesterday, just thinking of him kissing her, made her feel a little warm. It distracted her from the office work, Jessie at first didn’t notice it, but then it was obvious that Katy’s mind was somewhere else.

Katy’s head was lowered, she blushed from her thoughts, her face turning red. –“Hey, Katy, you okay there?”-Jessie poked her with a pen, Katy snapped out and laughed awkwardly.

-“Sorry about that, I was just overthinking again.”

-“Yeah… _Again_.”-Jessie sighed. –“What were you thinking about?”-Jessie asked in curiosity.

-“Nothing…Just…Stuff.”-Katy shrugged.

-“Sure, just by looking at your face, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just _stuff_. Is this about a guy?”-Jessie then chuckled. –“’Bout time you’d come back in the game.”

-“It’s not a guy…”

-“Katy, no need to lie to me, we’re both girls here, no pressure.”

Katy nodded, embarrassed. –“ _Yes_. It’s about a guy…”

-“How long has it been since you were with Brian, I think at least 2 years was it? Now you’re crawling back to him?”-Jessie reminded Katy of her previous relationship. She used to date an enforcer named Brian Harris, it wasn’t a serious one, more like a one-time thing that turned into a short term relationship.

-“No, it’s not Brian…It’s someone else.”-

-“Who is he then?”

Katy knew that telling the truth in this case would be wrong, though lying that Blake isn’t a criminal wasn’t exactly easy either. –“He’s just a casual guy from the down-…”-She then paused, correcting herself.-”I-I mean center, the center part of town.”

-“Okay, what’s his name?”

-“Blake.”

-“No last name?”

She lied. –“I forgot it."

-“What does he do for a living?”

-“He…Works in a criminal…Investigating unit.”

-“Huh, does he now?”

Katy felt like she wanted to throw up, she didn’t like to lie, especially to her best friend. –“Yeah. We met in a café, while I was on break he noticed me and decided to talk to me.”-But after all, what _can_ she say to her? That Blake is actually a criminal? That this crush could be fatal?

-“Well, good for you, this could put down all of the stress from work.”-Jessie smiled, patting Katy on the back. -“I used to date a guy too, but we broke up pretty quickly, didn’t work out like we planned.”-Jessie shrugged, lowering her head.

-“What happened?”-Katy asked, placing her hand on Jessie’s shoulder.

Suddenly, Jessie was interrupted. One of the workers entered the break room –“Lunch break’s over ladies, get back to work.”- They both sighed, getting up and leaving the room.

On the next day, Blake went to Rico’s Place, Maxwell sent him the time of arrival on the phone. It was 12:35 pm, Blake expected that it would be earlier but he didn’t mind it, the only thing on his mind were the preparations for the heist.

 

 

-“Hey Blake, how you doing?”-Rico greeted Blake as he entered the clinic.

-“Hey Ricz.”-He waved. –“I’m good. You?”

-“Same ol’ same ol’, you know?”-Rico paused for a second before continuing, thinking about what he wanted to say. –“Oh yeah! Maxwell told you to come here right? ‘Cause he gave me this package for you and told me you’d show up.

-“Where _is_ Maxwell though?”-Blake asked, seeing that they were the only ones present.

-“He said he’ll probably won’t make it, too busy working I guess.”-Rico sighed.

-“As always.”-Blake replied.

Rico then took the package and placed in on the desk. –“Well, let’s see what’s inside.”-He said, taking out a knife and cutting through the duct tape covering the opening.

-“Are those what I think they are?!”-Rico gasped. Blake looked at him with a confused look.

-“What are those?”-Blake walked closer, taking a look as well.

-“T-Those are… ** _Kevlar Implants_** , I thought they were banned!”-Rico took them out of the box, they were sealed in a smaller box with the words ‘Kevlar Implants’ printed on the top.

-“What _are_ Kevlar implants exactly?”-Blake was still confused. –“And how is this gonna help me in the heist?”

-“According to what I remember, those implants provide an extra layer of defense for your skin, making some bullets bounce off instead of hitting you.”-Rico replied. –“But the downside is that they feel heavy to the wearer, so running will be much slower than usual.”

-“Holy shit.”-Blake said, surprised. –“I didn’t think Maxwell would be able to get me _these_.”

-“Yeah I didn’t expect that either, I thought he’d give you some enhancing drugs and send you to my place to make sure nothing’s wrong.”

-“So Ricz, can you plant those in me?”-Blake asked.

-“I’m not sure, the only time I dealt with these was 3 years ago, from one costumer who got them illegally. But I guess I could try, I can’t guarantee I’ll succeed though.”-Rico scratched his head, looking inside the box to see if it has any instructions.

-“I trust you Ricz, you fixed me up all those years, so do what you need to do and I’ll follow.”-Blake assured him.

-“There’s something else in here.”-Rico pointed. –“It looks like a gas mask, and five grenades.”-He added. –“Looks like Maxwell got you covered on getting rid of the guards.”-He let out a chuckle.

-“Damn right. I owe him a drink for that.”-Blake laughed.

-“Well, let’s not waste daylight, I’ll get right on with it.”-Rico took the implants from their sealing, placing them on the surgery tray. –“Just get comfy and I’ll give you the anesthetics.”-He then pointed Blake to the operating table, getting his equipment ready as Blake laid down.

 

The procedure took 4 hours, Rico was exhausted, but at least his work was complete. –“I better get paid for working like this…”-Rico joked in his mind.


	24. Mixed Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long hiatus! Work has been driving me crazy, and free time is really scarce, but I won't give up on this fanfic- I'll keep on writing! c:

It took a while for Blake to wake up from the anesthetics, once he did, his vision felt blurry, and his skin felt really heavy.

-“You weren’t lying about the heavy part Ricz.”-Blake chuckled, noticing the difference in his body from the implants.

-“You may want to stay in bed for a while, you don’t look so good…”-Rico replied, seeing how Blake looked like he’s going to fall down any minute. –“I’ll go get you some water.”-He added, Blake nodded and laid down for a little longer.

He then handed Blake a glass of water. –“Thanks Ricz…Damn, ‘didn’t expect to be this dizzy…”

-“Just side effects from the anesthetic, you should rest for a while, and then you’re free to go.”-Rico assured.

 

 

Meanwhile at the SPPD, Katy felt a little curious over what Jessie said yesterday, about her previous relationship. Oddly enough, she never mentioned it before, and only recently it popped up out of the sudden. She felt tempted to ask about it, but it looked like Jessie was already buried in her own work, talking on the phone with various concerned civilians.

She realized that she’d have to wait for a while before having the time to talk to Jessie again, so she got back to her own office work. While looking at documents of arrested Blood-Roses members, it reminded her of what happened with Blake that night.

–“Dammit get yourself together Katy! Don’t you realize what he’s doing? He’s seducing you, and when he gets the chance, he’ll kill you…”-She thought, trying to forget her meeting with Blake, but awkwardly, it kept popping up.

It felt oddly nice to remember, how they laughed together and didn’t seem to argue that night, as if Katy didn’t care about the differences between their factions. Despite that, it wasn’t easy for Katy to let herself go like that, and forget that the same man she hung out with, killed a former enforcer a few months ago.

Jessie noticed how Katy just sat there, looking down without a single word coming out of her mouth. –“Lost in thought again?”

Katy then snapped out, sitting straight. –“Oh! Yeah…Sorry, I was just overthinking again…”

-“I wonder what you were thinking about…”-Jessie said with a smirk on her face. –“I bet your boyfriend is distracting you from work again.”-She then laughed. 

-“J-Jessie!”-She yelped, covering her face from embarrassment, her entire face turned red. –“Obviously not, I’m just… _Really_ focused on these criminals you know, tough sons of bitches.”-She denied.

-“Sure.”-Jessie chuckled.

 

Blake returned home, Rico decided to drop him off himself, just to make sure he won’t get hurt in the process.

-“Thanks for the lift Ricz.”-Blake shouted as he got to the entrance.

-“Anytime buddy.”-Rico replied, his head sticking out of the car window. He then drove off back to the clinic.

 

Getting back home after being in the clinic for a long time felt like a dream for Blake, for once he missed his crappy-looking apartment. As he got inside, he placed the box with the heist equipment on the counter, then went to take a quick shower.

As he washed himself, he noticed the amounts of dry blood on his skin, imagining that Rico probably had some trouble covering some patches up while they were bleeding heavily. His skin felt rougher than before, the implants made it feel like he was wearing a suit of armor.

Stitches marked almost his entire body, showing the spots where the implants were placed. The chest, arms, legs and back were all covered in the extra layer of the implants. Certain parts of his body still had the regular layer of skin, like his head, which is a major weak point that Blake has to protect.

-“’Guess those implants aren’t as perfect as Rico made ‘em up to be.”-Blake thought, remembering how enthused his friend was to operate with them.

He got out of the shower, cleaned himself up and went back to the living room to check on the box. He then took out one of the grenades inside and held it in his hand. It felt slightly heavy, with a rough metallic texture.

-“I gotta ask Maxwell ‘bout those grenades, never seen ones like these before…”-He thought, taking a closer look. It looked like a regular grenade, but it also had small holes all around it, the trigger button on the top covered with a small cap. –“Kinda looks like a smoke grenade…”-He added.

Blake took out his phone and dialed Maxwell’s number, hopefully to get some answers. It took him a while to pick up, but he eventually did.

-“Maxwell here.”-He said with, sounded tired through the phone.

-“Hey, It’s Blake.”

-“Oh…”-He paused before continuing, trying to remember what he wanted to say.-“Hi Blake, how was the operation? Sorry I couldn’t make it by the way, I had some _business_ to attend to.”

-“It was normal I guess, ‘had to rest in the clinic for a while, then Rico gave me a lift back home.”

-“Good to know the implants _didn’t_ kill you.”

-“Wait what?!”

Maxwell hurried to change the subject before Blake could say anything else. –“Anyway, I bet you’re calling about the other things I sent you.”

-“Yeah, those grenades look like normal smoke grenades, they don’t look any special to me. Unless it’s part of your plan to keep me undercover.”

-“They _are_ supposed to be smoke grenades, but with a little _personal_ touch.”-Maxwell chuckled. –“When you set them off, they release smoke like always, but the smoke contains poisonous gas, hence the gas mask.”

-“But why only five though?”

-“Because these are hard to come by, had to pay good money for those, I hope you won’t screw this up though. ‘Cause if you do, then I spent 20,000 dollars for nothing.”

-“You spent 20 grand on these?!”

-“I was surprised too, but then I realized that if we do succeed at this, I’ll get my money back from Simeone.-“He replied. –“Again, _don’t_ fuck this up.”-He added.

-“I won’t, I want the cash as much as you do, also the promotion, yeah that too.”

-“Good, get yourself ready Blake, it’s gonna be a wild ride from here on. The best time to operate would be tomorrow at 23:55.”

-“Why so specific?”

-“Because at that time, the guards switch shifts, giving you enough time to sneak in without being seen.”

-“Damn, you do know a lot about this huh…”-Blake said, surprised.

-“Of course I do, ‘been researching on that damn place for months now. But of course the guys I sent were all dumb fucks…You’re the only one to listen long enough, that’ll keep you _alive_.”

-“Sounds like a compliment to me.”-Blake laughed. The conversation remained silent for a few seconds, until Maxwell broke off the silence.

-“Well I have to go, call me again tomorrow at 20:00.”

-“See ‘ya later.”-Blake replied, hanging up.

 

Blake then went for a smoke on the balcony, he was thinking about the plan, and what to expect for tomorrow.

-“It’s been 7 years, and finally, I get a chance to show them I deserve this promotion…I can’t fuck this up, I just can’t…This could be the only chance I’ll ever get in my life.”-He said to himself, looking at the sky as the smoke from his nostrils trailed around before fading away.

-“Now what to do with the money…”-He asked before continuing. –“Maybe I could buy a new car, I can’t rely on taxis every goddamn time I need a ride…”-He added.

He then remembered the time he hung out with Katy, how they first met and started to know each other a little more. He felt comfortable with her, talking about his past, as if she were his friend, not his enemy. The moment he kissed her on the cheek was out of confidence, yet also from wondering what her reaction might be.

Oddly enough, he liked it. The feeling of his lips on Katy’s cheek, was something he only felt with his first love, 7 years ago to be exact.

Her name was Belle Jamison, a 19 year old girl who worked at a tattoo shop. Blake met her when he got his first tattoo on his shoulder, a simple tribal tattoo shaped like a rose, resembling the Blood-Roses insignia. He wanted one back in the day to prove his loyalty to the gang, and his enthusiasm of becoming a criminal.

As he was waiting to get it done, he got to talk to Belle, finding out they had common interests: they were both smokers and drinkers who work their asses off just for a little bit of cash each time. At the time, Blake didn’t know any better, and fell right for her.

They were together for a few good months, Blake was already thinking of moving to the next level with her, until some bad news came in the way. Turns out Belle’s smoking addiction brought her nothing but bad luck, she was diagnosed with lung cancer, and it was spreading rapidly.

Blake paid every penny he could to fund his future fiancé’s treatment, but despite all that money thrown away, Belle had no will to live anymore.

He begged her to fight, yet she didn’t even bother. She started to give up, and not even Blake’s motivation could help her.

One night, as he came to visit her, he noticed that her plug was pulled, she made her death come sooner.

That image devastated him, an image that stayed in his mind, even now he remembers of how he saw her body, lying in bed, motionless.

Blake’s job as a criminal back then made things very stressful, rookie life was extra hard, and Belle seemed to be the only one who made him forget about the commitment to his job just for a little while each time. Now that she was gone, he felt guilty, for not being able to stop her from dying, his first love abandoning him when he needed her the most.

-“Why did you have to leave Belle…”-He whispered, sighing.

In some way, Katy reminded him of her, they both were the only women he didn’t seem to have a problem with. Just thinking about Katy again, made him smile, and even blush a little.

-“At least I got you Anderson…”-He smiled, but then remembered how she ran away that night. –“… _Not even close_ …”-He sighed once more.

He didn’t have any ideas on how to fix his problem with Katy. –“I shouldn’t even be thinking about this stuff…I gotta focus on the mission. The mission is more important. Besides, it’s not like Anderson would want to be with me, it’s a lost cause.”-He thought.

-“Damn…I _like_ her…”-He then admitted. –“ _Why_ do I like her?”-He added, shaking his head, trying to stop thinking about her. –“I feel like…Like _I want to be with her_.”

 

The day was over in a matter of short hours, it was getting dark, and Katy just got back home from her shift.

Before leaving from work, she had another chance to talk to Jessie, she wasn’t as busy once the shift was over.

-“You never told me you used to date someone.”

-“Not much to say about it, just a short relationship…Nothing special honestly.”-Jessie shrugged.

-“Then _why_ keep it a secret?”

-“Because it wasn’t something _that_ important.”

-“So I guess it won’t matter if you tell me about it, right?”

Jessie sighed. –“Fine. I’ll tell you. I used to date a guy who worked in the poor district, he is a doctor.”

Katy gasped. –“The guy who owns Rico’s Place?”

-“Yes…”-Jessie muttered. –“But we only dated for like 3 months, and we met when I was patrolling the street. The only reason I didn’t shut his place down on sight was his kindness, you barely see guys like him in a district like that. He _really_ wants to make it a better place for once. It’s why I fell for him in the first place…I didn’t expect for a guy like that to be nice, caring…”-She added, covering her face with her hand.

-“Why did you break up then?”

-“Job differences mostly, I mean if I told the chief about how I literally kept him away from getting arrested, I’d lose my job. And I was afraid you’d rat on me, so I kept it quiet.”

-“I’d _never_ do that, your secret is kept with me, don’t worry.”-Katy cheered her up, but at the same time felt guilty for her lie about Blake. The way Jessie described Rico, is the same way Katy could describe Blake- He’s nice, he seems to care for once, the job differences, it was all there.

But risking her life to be with a man like Blake, doesn’t seem to be worth the time, in Katy’s first thoughts at least. During that month where they didn’t talk, she reconsidered many things about him, the meeting downtown made it clearer to her, he may not be such a bad person after all.

_Could she tell Jessie the truth?_


	25. Prove Yourself Worthy

Today was the day Blake had to prove himself, to the gang, to Maxwell, and most importantly, to himself. If he does this heist right, all that hard work will be finally paid off.

One hour before he had to call Maxwell, Blake prepared himself both physically and mentally for the heist. He went out for a smoke, with a bowl of ramen noodles on the side, getting some grub was something he could use before work. As he finished his meal and smoke, he took a quick shower, getting all the stench away, cleansing himself from yesterday.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated, Maxwell called earlier for some reason.

-“Didn’t you say I need to call you at eight?”-Blake looked at the clock hanging on the wall, it was half broken, yet still moving.

-“Change of plan, come to my place, we need to go over the plans again.”

-“Why? You told me everything I need to know.”

-“Trust me, the more we go over the plan, the better.”

Blake sighed. –“Okay, I’m on my way.”

-“Hold up, you’re taking a taxi are you?!”

-“It’s not like I have a car like _some_ people…”

-“No need to take a damn cab, I sent over a guy to pick you up, wait for him outside, next to the parking lot.”-Maxwell then hung up, leaving the line silent.

 

Blake got himself ready to head outside, strapping on the ALIG on his back, and put a pistol in his pocket. He then walked outside, holding the box containing the goods from Maxwell.

He noticed a black van, with the Blood Roses insignia painted on the doors. It was parked right next to the parking lot, just like Maxwell mentioned.

Once opening the front door, he noticed that a man was staring at him as he got inside. A bald, dark skinned man with a big smirk on his face.

-“Looks like Maxwell got himself a new giddy pig.”-The man chuckled as he started to drive towards Maxwell’s place.

-“What’s that supposed to mean?”-Blake frowned.

-“Means you’re not the only guy, at least 15 are either dead or in prison for life…All because of the Parleys.”-The man sighed, remembering those men and women, who stupidly got themselves caught, or worse, even killed. –“I don’t know why Maxwell thinks you’re so goddamn special, ‘guess the only way to show what you can do, is to put you on the battlefield, and see if you come out dead or alive.”-The man then chuckled.

-“Not even a single one got out of without being caught?”-Blake wondered.

-“Nope, the guards probably stopped them before they even thought about it, and it’s usually Justin Parley who decides the verdict. He chooses which criminal he will sue his ass off, and which one gets a bullet right in the forehead. But there are some cases when the guards just shoot regardless of Justin’s choice.”

-“Damn.”-Blake’s eyes shrunk, he felt a little afraid, yet shrugged it off quickly. The man nodded in response.

-“It’s a tough job, but the money’s worth it… _And in your case_ , the promotion.”

They arrived to Maxwell’s place. The man dropped him off and was about to leave, Blake stopped him. –“Aren’t you coming?”

-“Nah, got other business to attend to.”-The man replied. –“Oh and good luck out there, do yourself a favor, don’t get killed.”-He added before driving away.

 

Blake then walked towards the house, it looked like a giant mansion in his eyes, though it was just a simple villa close to the suburbs. He was amazed by how big it was on the outside. –“Damn…If only I had this kind of money…”-He thought to himself, sighing silently before approaching the front gate.

He then dialed up the intercom, waiting for Maxwell to pick up.

-“Finally you made it, come on in.”-Maxwell replied before Blake could even say  a word, the front gate opened in front of him.

As he got inside, Blake noticed the fancy decorations and expensive furniture, it made him wonder how much does he even make. The whole place looked more like a museum than a house.

Maxwell walked out of the kitchen, seeing how Blake's eyes were focused on the house's interior. -"Surprised huh?"

Blake approached a small golden statue on the kitchen counter. -"Mind if I take this home with me?"-He joked.

-"Pfft, that old thing? You could buy a dozen of those once you get the promotion."-Maxwell let out a snort.

He noticed how the statue held a small bowl, containing a few pills colored in dark pink. -"You gettin' high on cough medicine now?"-Blake chuckled.

-"It's not cough medicine, it's _even better_."-Maxwell smirked, approaching Blake.-"It only takes _one_ to make you trip balls. I wouldn't recommend more, but if you're up for it, be my guest."

Just hearing how only one pill can make him high, was enough to convince Blake to try one. He tried taking one, but Maxwell slapped his hand to stop him.

-"Hey, what gives?"-Blake rubbed his hand, frowning.

-"I can't just hand these out, you know how expensive these pills are? Just this small pack costs at least 2k. Besides, you got a heist to do, I can't just send you out while you're high."-Maxwell then took the pill from Blake and put it back in the bowl. -"You'll get your chance once you're done."

-"You never told me you did drugs though."-Blake raised a brow and crossed his arms.

-"It's not exactly something everyone needs to know, nobody in the gang gives a flying fuck whether you do drugs or not. When you're gonna be a part of the elites, you'll see how important these pills are. They calm you down, from the _stress_ and _tension_ , quicker than sex, but at a higher price."

It went silent before Maxwell changed the topic. -"Moving on, come to the living room, I got everything set there."-Maxwell said, Blake nodded and followed him.

The living room looked as fancy as the rest of the house, various documents covering the coffee table, and a strange looking suit leaning on the couch. -"Don't tell me I have to wear THAT to the heist, it looks ridiculous. This is a heist, not a goddamn ballet play."-Blake noticed how odd it looked, it resembled a tight skin suit, completely black. It had various pocket slots around the waist, fit for carrying ammo and grenades. Beside it, were a pair of gloves, to make sure Blake won't leave any fingerprints on the crime scene.  

-"It costs more than what you earn in a month."-Maxwell silenced him, unimpressed of Blake's opinion. -"It'll give you an extra layer of protection, if the implants won't do the trick. With the mask on your face, bam, nobody will ever know who you are."

-"So then the Parley's will think they got robbed by a gas mask wearing Ballerina, _works for me_."-Blake said sarcastically.

-"Don't blame me for the crappy design, it's supposed to protect you, not keep you in style."-Maxwell muttered. -"Besides, it'll be _under_ your regular clothes, so even the _fashion police_ won't be able to arrest you."-He then added.

-"It's not like anyone really knows who I am."-Blake muttered. -"The CPP got me covered."

-"Yeah, 'till you get caught."-Maxwell replied. -"I can guarantee to you that Justin installed video surveillance cameras all over the place, the last thing you'd want is for someone to see your face. With the disguise on you, they'd think you're just a random criminal, nothing too specific."-He then added, proving the purpose of the silly looking costume.

Blake shrugged, sitting on one of the couches in the living room, looking at the scattered papers on the coffee table. -"Man, you really thought this through."

-"Of course I did, but no matter how much time and money I spend researching the place, the guy sent to the heist gets killed or arrested. 'Not saying that you can't do it yourself, but I won't be surprised if you'll get the same fate."

-"Losing your faith in me already huh?"-Blake smirked, letting out a chuckle. -"No worries Maxwell, I got this."

-"Suit yourself, I wouldn't be so confident if I were you. You'll never know what Justin's planning next. Sometimes, not even _I_ can predict his next move, **_so be careful_**."

 

After some quick briefing, Blake wore the suit under his clothes, holding the mask in his hands, he decided to put it on once they arrive to the scene. He then followed Maxwell to the driveway, they both waited for a pickup van.

Out of the sudden, Maxwell noted. -"Good luck Blake. I hope you won't let yourself down, and well, don't let _me_ down either."-As he finished speaking, the van stopped in front of them, Blake got inside. Before closing the door, Maxwell added. -"Oh and don't waste your bullets too much, you don't want to get caught without any ammo."-He smirked, throwing a belt of ammo at Blake's hand, it contained around 70 bullets.-"Every bullet counts."-Blake responded to the fond gift with a smile, wearing the belt alongside the ALIG's strap. He then sat in the back of the van, seeing it leave the area and head to the mansion.

During the short ride, Blake took a gander outside, noticing small drops of water pilling up on the window, which wasn't a good sign. -"Fuck."-He said to himself. Rain is going to make the heist much harder, especially when it comes to climbing a tree with the heavy equipment dragging him down.

The Kevlar implants started to feel heavy on his skin, as if he was carrying two big guns at a time, yet he also felt protected, knowing that almost his entire body is temporarily bullet-proof. Judging by the texture of the suit given to him, he doubted that it would really help against enemy fire, but still appreciated Maxwell's effort put into it.

The van slowed down as it arrived to the destination, revealing to Blake his target. It was huge, probably the biggest mansion in the neighborhood, surrounded by a tall sharp fence, the gate heavily guarded and sealed shut. The mansion's garden looked like a jungle, with palm trees and other exotic plants covering the plot of land.

Blake remembered about what Maxwell mentioned in the briefing- Justin loved to spend money on outer and inner decorations, so seeing all those trees made sense to him. The only lights visible through the rain were the van headlights and the small garden lights outside, the windows were all closed tight and all rooms in the upper floor were dark. Blake looked through the van's window and tried to find the spot Maxwell mentioned in the briefing, an oak tree leaning next to the fence.

Blake put on the mask, signaling the driver that he's about to jump out. As soon as he did, the van left the area, leaving no trace behind.

-"Now the real mission begins."-Blake thought as he ran towards the oak tree. The slippery road made it a bit tricky to run without tripping, however, he managed to get a grip with his feet while running.

He stepped forward, grabbed the trunk with his hands, and tried to give himself a push with his legs. On the first try he fell on the ground, on the second try he got it right, holding the trunk with his hands and climbed with each little push.

He got to the top, then looked around to find the branch that leads to the other side of the fence, the branch seemed thin but possibly thick enough to support his weight. He took a small sprint and jumped it, before falling down he took a grip, leaving his legs hanging between the ground and the tree.

He jumped down from the branch, falling into a bush that broke his fall and made the it rustle as he tried to get up and hide. Suddenly, a guard was walking nearby with a flashlight and an umbrella in his hand, the guard heard the noise so he moved the flashlight around to find the source. As the guard was distracted, Blake snuck from the hiding spot, and snapped his neck to kill him quietly, the last thing he wanted was to make a louder noise.

As the guard fell down, a set of keys were revealed to Blake. He picked them up, as they will obviously come in handy.

One of the keys had the letter B imprinted in it, Blake guessed it was the key for the booth, so he took a sprint towards it with the keys in his hand.

The booth seemed to be open, with a distracted guard inside it. Blake snuck in, tried not to be in range with the window so he won't be spotted. He took a quick gander inside, noticing that the guard was reading a newspaper, his face away from the monitors.

This was an opportunity for Blake to strike, but instead he decided to knock him unconscious. As the guard was out cold, he looked for something to tie him up with. The first thing he saw was a duct tape dispenser. Using the tape, he tied the guard's body and mouth, to make sure he won't call for backup once he wakes up.  

He noticed the monitors inside the booth, showing the cameras surrounding the mansion, if anyone would find video evidence about what he's gonna do, Blake could go to jail. So to prevent any leftover evidence, he used the computer connected to the monitors to shut down the security cameras in the mansion.

The guard slowly woke up, noticing himself tied up. He yelled for help but unfortunately Blake saw him too. Though normally Blake was indeed a cold hearted killer, instead of killing the guard- he punched him again.  

Now with the cameras disabled, this gave Blake the upper hand to strike, steal the money and come back to the H.Q with ease.

The rain stopped and the garden was more visible to Blake's eyes. One of the possible areas to sneak in was the kitchen door, it was open with slight screeches as it moved slowly back and forth.

Blake ran as fast as possible towards that open door before anyone notices him. As he got to the small porch stairs his feet stepped in slowly, attempting to make as little sound as possible on the kitchen floor.

The kitchen itself looked really fancy in Blake's eyes at least, wasn't really that special from the kitchen Katy had in her own apartment but of course differences between the two kitchens was shown a lot. On the counter there were some plates, pots and pans all around- looked like someone was cooking and forgot to clean after themselves. Blake smelled something tasty coming from the dining room, it was a small slice of cake that was half eaten, his stomach growled a bit as he smelled its delicious aroma. Even if he wanted to eat it, he couldn't risk leaving any traces of DNA and it was best to ignore the tempting smell, the mission comes first.

From Maxwell's briefing before the heist, Blake memorized the details of the safe. It's located in the living room, with a keypad and a lock, protected with a pass code, only Justin himself knows the combination. Another reason for the previous criminal's failure was the pass code, they couldn't get it right no matter how many times they tried, before they knew it, they were done for.

Despite that, Maxwell convinced Blake that this time, he gathered the exact number combination for the lock, based on data he stumbled upon. To make sure he'd remember it, Blake wrote it down on his wrist with a black marker.

**_04071992_ **

Blake got to the main hall, he looked around to check for any guards and he saw three of them patrolling. He couldn't take on three at the same time but he got something that can help him out.

 He took out the "smoke" grenades given by Maxwell, he removed  the pin attached to the smoke grenade and threw it, as soon as it touched the floor it released a gas that could kill a man in seconds. The mask filtered the air entering his nostrils, preventing him from inhaling the gas.

The guards fell down, letting Blake walked past them. -"What a bunch of babies."-He chuckled, they died too easily.   

 

He finally got to the living room, the guest room was combined with the living room for some reason. The Parley's liked to show off their big safe to their friends and family, as part of a success of their career.

The room itself was huge, it had 4 long couches, a beautiful red carpet between them and a very modern looking fireplace in the middle. The only light in the large room was from the windows, as the sky cleared from the rain, the moonlight lit the area slightly.

Though the safe was the main target, Blake was impressed by all the beautiful collectibles and art that was worth probably millions judging from their beauty and quality. The safe itself was a few meters from the living room itself, it had a huge round door colored in a dark golden color, Blake gazed at the size of the safe.

-"'Can't wait to get my hands on the cash inside." **-** He thought to himself, amazed by the sheer size of it.

He then walked to the keypad, typing the first numbers of the password given to him. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from the stairs leading to the master bedroom, it was Justin Parley who woke up for a glass of water in the middle of the night.

Blake shocked and quickly hid under the big couch in the middle, he didn't expect one of the Parely's to wake up so late. Instead of backing up and giving up on this mission like most criminals would do by now, Blake got up and walked to Justin with the ALIG on his hands, ready to use it if necessary.

Justin got out of the kitchen with the glass of water, he noticed someone behind him and turned quickly.

-" ** _Oh shit..._** "-He mouthed, hearing small steps behind him. -"who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?!"-Justin yelled as he dropped the glass of water on the floor, getting nervous once he saw the ALIG in Blake's hands.

-"You don't need to know anything about me,"-Blake smirked, his finger closing in on the trigger. -"You know exactly what I want, and if you _won't_ give it to me, well, I don't think you want to know what happens next."-Blake threatened, his voice muffled through the gas mask. He then grasped the barrel of the ALIG with a tight grip, looking back at Justin with an intimidating gaze.

-"I'll do anything, just please don't hurt me! I beg of you, please don't hurt me!"-Justin got down on his knees and shouted with fear at Blake . He laughed when he saw him act like a coward.

-"So this is THE Justin Parely? no fucking way..."- He said to himself while looking at the man begging for his life. -"If you want to stay alive tonight, why don't you do the honors and open that safe for me?"-He then turned to him.

-"F-fine..."-Justin gave in. -"I'll open the damn thing for you..Just _please_ , don't hurt me and you'll get what you want, just keep that damn gun away from me."-Justin shivered, looking at the ALIG pointed directly at his chest, if Blake pulls the trigger, it's over for him, Justin had no choice but to give him the money. To Blake it seemed a little _too_ easy, but he didn't care.

-"Excellent...you saved your own ass old man."-He commented as Justin walked to the safe. -"Now remember, keep your mouth shut and it'll be okay."-He added as he joined him, pushing him to walk a little faster. Justin muttered from Blake's comment and pretended to type in the numbers.  

Before typing the final numbers, he pressed a hidden button beneath the keypad. As soon as the button was pressed an alarm went off, it echoed around the mansion, calling reinforcements.

This gave Justin a window of opportunity to flee from Blake's line of sight. He rushed to a safe distance as the guards arrived. There were ten of them coming to Blake, aiming their rifles at him as they slowly closed in.

 


	26. 04071992

-"You thought I _wasn't_ prepared for you?"-Justin smirked, revealing to Blake his true self. -"Do you know how _many_ criminals like you came in here, thinking they won, only to be shot on sight by my men? I'm not as stupid as you think I am, I got it all planned out.-"He then turned to his men, ready to command them. -"And you're no exception."

Despite the threat, Blake remained calm, he has been in life-threatening situations before. In fact, he was confident in himself, standing his ground, not moving a muscle from where he was standing. 

Justin gave away the signal, and the guards engaged in combat. They started to shoot the intruder simultaneously, hoping to take him out in one single blow. As a response, Blake crossed his arms in front of his face, letting the guards shoot him, only for them to find out it wasn't working.

-" ** _What the hell?! Why isn't he dead yet?!_** "-Justin yelled, seeing the criminal covered with bullet holes, yet was still standing like nothing happened.

The Kevlar implants, alongside the protective suit, did the trick, making Blake temporarily bullet-proof, yet not for long. -" ** _Use intensive fire power!_** "-Justin commanded, and the storm of bullets intensified. This caused the implants to lose their effect, revealing blood pouring from the holes.

The blood didn't stop him however, he began to fire heavily at the guards, neutralizing them. Bullets were flying all over the place, hitting everything in their path, including the mansion's decor. This caused Justin to worry dearly, fleeing from the fire and hiding behind one of the couches.

 

While getting shot by the guard's rifles, Blake got his chances to target his massive gun at them, the tricky part was to keep it still, an ALIG tends to tilt away slightly as it shoots bullets in a faster pace. The majority of the bullets hit the walls and floor, but some still managed to hurt the guards pretty badly, it's never a good idea to stay close to an ALIG.

 

More guards came for backup, stopping Blake from his attack, forcing him to fall back to reload, a few guards ran towards him with rifles in their hands. To keep them away he threw the smoke grenades at their direction while rolling to cover. The grenades unleashed a cloud full of gas to the attacking guards, causing them to cough heavily before falling down one by one.

The remaining guards ran towards Blake with an angry cry, they were determined to get rid of the intruder, up to now he still stayed on his toes, keeping them away as much as he could. He then hit them with one final blow, throwing his last grenade at them. As it was thrown, they tried to flee, but it was too late.

 

Justin couldn't believe his eyes, he had never seen a criminal with such power, no criminal he had faced acted like this before. He expected him to be dead in a flash, but he was still alive and kicking, regardless of the bullet holes covering his body.

The living room and the guest room were full of bullet holes, there was blood on the walls, and the floor was full of empty bullets. bodies of Justin's guards were scattered around the room. It was a terrible scene to look at.

-"I have no choice..."-Justin said to himself, peeking from his hiding spot, noticing how all of his men are down. He then got out of hiding, walking to Blake with his hands in the air, surrendering.

-"You...You won."-Justin stuttered, still in complete shock. -"I-I never lost to people like you, I didn't even think it would come to this."-He then admitted, ashamed of his loss.

-"Now."-He tried to stop his stuttering, prepared to accept his fate. -"What are you gonna do _now_ , kill me? Steal my money and leave me for dead?"-He couldn't stop his stutter, it continued, and it followed by his body shaking with fear.

-"I don't want you dead old man, I just need the money, and two large bags to carry it."-He looked at Justin, surprised that he has given up so easily, he obviously wasn't prepared.-"You should've expected it by now, your mansion isn't as secure as you think it is. One way or another, someone would've robbed this place by now, _someone_ like _me_."

-"Y-you're right..."-Justin had to agree, it was obvious that he had lost to the criminal. -"I'll open up the safe for you, and give you the amount you need. Just, don't hurt me, or anyone else...You've done that quite enough."-He added, looking at the pool of blood beside him, pouring from a dead guard.

Justin typed in the password. Surprisingly, it was the same one Maxwell gave to Blake before he head out. -"Huh...'Didn't think Maxwell was right about the code too...Damn he really spent time into this heist."-Blake thought as he looked at Justin typing the numbers.

" ** _04071992”_**

The massive safe opened, revealing shelves full of dollar bills, just ready to be taken away. -"I'll go get your bags..."-Justin sighed, knowing that he might lose his grand fortune in one night, but he had no choice.

Blake waited for the bags, as he waited, he looked at the contents of the safe. It was so huge that the shelves inside seemed endless. As he waited, he was feeling really good, great in fact, for beating Justin like this when nobody else could. It was easier than he thought, the side effects were showing however, the implants may have bounced off the bullets, but the pain was still there.

Justin dragged the two bags on the floor, causing them to get dirty from all the surrounding debris. He handed over the bags to Blake, and let him do his bidding. -"Just...Please, don't take all of it, I beg you..."-He lowered his head, tears coming out of his eyes. -"I spent my whole life getting this far, I don't want to lose it all at once...P-Please."

Despite the will to steal the whole safe and take the entire fortune to the Blood Roses, Blake saw how humiliated Justin was, to the point he was on his knees, begging for mercy. It reminded him of a similar situation where he had to beg for mercy from the enemy, he recognized the face of defeat. He couldn't be that cruel. -"Don't worry."-He said, letting out a calm sigh. -"I won't take all of it, just what I need, I know a lost man when I see one."

 

Meanwhile, Maxwell started to wonder how it was going over at the Parley's, so he decided to send out one of his assistants to check up on Blake.

-"Get the van and drive to the mansion, I feel like it's a lost cause. We lost _another one_ to the Parley's. Make sure Justin hands over the body, if he doesn't, _you know what to do_."-Maxwell commanded over the phone, letting out a deep sigh at the end. It was clear to him that Blake, like the others, didn't make it. He was used to hearing the bad news, so to think that Blake would be alive, was impossible for him. He hung up the phone, and wandered around the room.

-" _Goddamnit_."-He sighed again. -"That's _20k_ down the drain, I thought Blake was better than this, I should have sent someone else..."-He then remained quiet, with no choice, he stepped over to the statue he had in the kitchen, which contained the drugs that would help him unwind from this mess.

 

Back at the Parley's, Blake was collecting his well-earned loot from the safe, Justin had no choice but to watch as his fortune is being taken away from him. But then suddenly, an idea came up. He noticed that one of the dead guards beside him had a loaded pistol. If he could sneak up to grab it, he could shoot the masked intruder before he turns around, but there's a risk. Given the fact that the crook managed to stand after heavy fire, what will one bullet to the head do? Besides, if it won't hit as planned, he could strike back and finish Justin off in one move.

It's a risk Justin wanted to take. He crouched and slowly made his way to the body of the deceased guard, picking up the pistol slowly as the crook's back was turned. He then slowly got up, holding the pistol in front of him, aiming at the head of the intruder, his hands shaking from what will happen next.

Blake might've been slightly distracted, but he kept his ears sharp, and he got to hear the sound of a shaking firearm behind his back. To keep Justin unaware, he didn't turn around, instead, he pretended that he didn't hear anything. -"I wouldn't do that if I were you."-He said, still not turning around. -"Put down the gun old man, or I'll make sure you do."

-"I-I won't lose my fortune to you, I can't! I spent my whole life on it, y-you can't just come in and steal it from me! I am Justin Parley, I never gave up on criminal scum like you, and I won't give up now!"-He admitted.

Blake sighed before responding. -"Your life is worth more than printed paper, if I were you, I'd consider to put down the pistol and live a little longer. Sure, you sent some criminals to their death, but you never faced someone like me, someone who won against you. So don't get cocky _Justin_."-He then finally turned around, staring into Justin's eyes through the gas mask.

From Blake's deep stare, Justin gave in, and dropped his pistol from his shaking hands, moving away from him in a sign of full defeat. -"You're right...Again... My life isn't worth it..."-Justin mumbled, and Blake closed the two bags shut, heading to the main door, ignoring him. -"T-Thank you though. F-For sparing me, that is. That's the only thing I can thank you for."-After those words, Blake stopped for a moment, to glance at the defeated man once more before he continued.

 

The van was standing beside the gate, and the driver looking around, surprised at what he saw. -"No guards on duty, in fact, there are no guards at all."-The driver said through the earpiece to Maxwell. -"I'll try and get the gate to open up, maybe Justin will give the body in an easier negotiation this time."

-"Let's hope so, last time the little old prick demanded a lot for the previous Blood Rose he 'took in charge'. 'Barely even made it through that one."

The driver stepped out, heading to the door. As he was standing beside it, he knocked on it several times. The sound of knocking echoed through the living room.

-"Who the fuck is at the door?"-Blake noticed the knocking, confused by who can it be at this time of night.

-"I-I don't know."-Justin shook his head.

-" ** _Answer it_**."-Blake threatened, nudging Justin on the back with the ALIG's tough barrel.

Before opening the door, he looked through the peephole, seeing a familiar face. -"Him again?"-He whispered. -"What the hell does he wan-"-He stopped talking, suddenly remembering what the man came for, just like any other time, body retrieval.

Back in the day, when Justin won over every crook who dared even to step on the front door, he would go through a "Negotiation process" with one of the elites representing each gang. Each elite would offer a sum of money in exchange for the dead body of the deceased criminal so it could be put to rest. The surviving criminals, who faced Justin's lawsuit, had little to no chance of parole, so they were forced to face with their verdict for life. Due to obvious reasons, the elites themselves never show up personally, they always prefer to send their own representatives for security measurements.

Justin opened the door slowly, revealing to the driver that the crook was still standing tall and proud. -"No way."-The driver said, stunned. -"You made it..."-He added, walking closer to Blake.

-"Yeah."-Blake said simply. -"I guess I did."-He then chuckled, coughing in the process.

Before even calling out a deal, Justin quickly shouted -"T-Take him! Take him away from here! He's all yours, no need to pay up! He's free to go!"

-"You _sur_ e about that?"-The driver teased, smirking. -"Chickened out in the last minute? Did the big bad criminal scare you _that_ much?"

Justin didn't reply, instead, he let Blake follow the driver to the van. With the two large bags stuffed with money, Justin just stood there, watching the crook get away with his crime. -"I'm sorry I let you down _Michel_ , I'm so, so sorry."-He whispered, crying.

 

 

During the drive back to Maxwell's, Blake took off his mask, letting himself breathe some fresh air after the mess at the mansion. He started to cough again, revealing small drops of blood coming out the more he coughed. The driver kept looking at him through the rear-view mirror, almost distracted from the road.

It wasn't just the coughing that concerned the driver, the bullet holes covering Blake's body were staining the back seats with blood. -"Aw crap, those were new seats, leather too!"-The driver grumped.

-"Well, now you got a whole new design to 'em."-Blake laughed, coughing again. -"I call it, Blood-Rose red. Get it?"-He added, laughing again.

-"How the hell are you even _alive_ right now, what're those Kevlar implants made out of anyway?"-The driver changed the subject.

-"No clue."-Blake admitted, taking a gander at the bullet wounds on his skin. -"But they did the trick, that's what matters."

-"Aren't you dizzy or something after losing all that blood?"-The driver turned to him again.

-"Y-Yeah, just a 'lil bit..."-Blake admitted, feeling a massive headache all of the sudden. As he shook his head, his sight turned blurry. -"G-God...M-My head..."-He then lost consciousness, causing the driver to panic as a result.

-"Blake?"-He poked him. -"Yo Blake? Blake?!"-He panicked. -"Oh crap..."

 

 


	27. Awake

Blake finally gained consciousness, and the first thing he heard were two people, shouting to one another in an argument. He was back at Maxwell's, away from the crime scene, lying in the guestroom bed. The two didn't notice he was able to hear them, or that he was even aware of his surroundings. The conversation sounded blurry in Blake's head, voices fading and coming back as they're heard.

-"He has to make it, I didn't pay you to fail!"-Maxwell shouted with anger.

-"He will."-A stranger calmed him. He then approached Blake, slightly touching his forehead. As the stranger's hand moved from the forehead to the back of the neck, Blake's eyes slightly twitched in response. -"He just needs rest from the treatment, give him a few days, then you'll see your money's worth."- The stranger left the room, closing the door with Maxwell following him.

Blake wanted to say something, move a muscle, anything, but he was too weak. He gave in to his pain, losing himself again.  

 

Days passed, he barely moved from the bed, yet at least he could finally open his eyes without passing out again.

-"Good."-Maxwell was in the room, sitting near the bed, examining Blake closely. -"You're recovering, the guy didn't rip me off after all."-He added, pleased with the results.

-"W-What guy?"-Blake asked, confused.

-"The guy who took care of you for the past few days dummy."

-"You called in Rico? I barely recognized him."

-"Pfft. Of course not."-Maxwell laughed. -"I called in a guy who is _better_ than your little intern friend, a _real_ doctor this time. With a degree and everything."

-"What? How did you do that? Don't those docs fo-"

-"Follow the law?"-Maxwell interrupted. -"Well that's the thing, the private clinic they work for is located out of town. Because their business isn't funded by the city hall, the law policy doesn't exist for them. Every public building in this damn city follows the exact same anti-criminal law, except for them, that private clinic _does not_!"

-"So what? Rico doesn't follow the dumb law, and he does it for a cheaper price, so why didn't you hire him instead?"

-"Because."-Maxwell paused. -"Your little friend Rico is the reason you bled too much."

-" ** _What?_** "-Blake couldn't believe what he just heard.

-"If it wasn't for him, the Kevlar implants would actually protect you from bleeding. The private doc told me himself, turns out that the implants were placed _all wrong_. Basically, your little friend here nearly got you killed."

-"He knows what he's doing, I trusted him all those years, he never failed me!"-Blake frowned.

-"Then why he has such a high mortality rate, huh? Why do a lot of his patients who go under dangerous surgery just don't make it? Well, I'll tell you why. It's because he isn't good enough, he doesn't know what he's even doing."

Blake silenced, looking angrily at Maxwell. He had to admit to himself that in a way, Maxwell was right.

 

-"Look."-He sighed. -"I know Rico's a good friend of yours, but he's risking you and himself at the same time. If he'll have to 'tamper' with an Elite ranked criminal's body in the same way he did to you, and 'accidentally' kill him, then he'd be dead in hours. Simeone doesn't like to lose the _important_ members of the gang, the ones who _matter_."-He then pointed at Blake. -"And after what you did in that mansion, you matter to him now too."

-"I matter to him? Wait, you told him about the heist?"-Blake asked.  

-"Of course I did, _duh_. I can't keep these kinds of things away from the boss, what you did was revolutionary! Something that no criminal has ever done before!"-Maxwell highlighted exaggeratingly.

Despite the way Maxwell pointed it out, Blake still didn't feel like the achievement he made was that special. Instead, it felt like someone else could have done it better than him. He stayed silent for a while, then, a question came in mind.

-"How many hours it's been since the heist? I gotta get back to get my promotion."-He asked, slowly lifting himself from the bed.

-"Whoa there, you're not going anywhere."-Maxwell stopped his movement. -"First of all, it's been _days_ , not hours. Second, you're not leaving 'till you're completely A-ok, if you move too much, you might open your stitches. With your new elite status, I'd celebrate in bed if I were you."

-"Wait, I'm _already_ promoted?!"-Blake said, confused.

-"As soon as I told the boss heard about the heist's results, he gave me the word to tell you. But, you were unconscious during that time, so I saved it till now."-He then paused, remembering another thing. -"Oh and, Byron said he's planning a little party for you when you'll be back at H.Q, along with the other contacts who want to talk to you about your new rank."

-"How many days are we even talking about here?"-Blake wondered, he was more interested about the party than his health, but was also eager to know when he's free to go.

-"A week or two, we'll see how your body recovers, until then you're stuck here whether you like it or not."

Blake sighed, he had hoped for a shorter waiting time, sadly that had to do. -"Fine."-He agreed.

 

At the time Blake only arrived to Maxwell's residence, the enforcers at the SPPD were called for an emergency late-night meeting. It was only a few short hours after the heist was done. It was exhausting for most of the crew to stay up late and hear about another investigation, however, this one was important enough to keep them awake.

-"Listen up, we have just received a call from Justin Parley. We know him as the city's bank owner, and our biggest patron alongside others who remain anonymous. He reported that his estate was broken into by a lone criminal, and he successfully stole five million dollars out of the safe."-The police chief noted the gathered enforcers, they started to whisper to one another, surprised that this time, a criminal managed to do so without dying.

-"Silence!"-The chief yelled, and the gathered quieted. -"The forensics team will go into the mansion shortly for further investigations, we must find clues now before any of the gangs interfere with the evidence. The rest of you will start working on the case immediately, this man and his funds are very important to us, without him we wouldn't been able to stop the criminals so far. So get to work as soon as possible, dismissed."

The gatherers separated, each going a different direction from the conference hall doors. Katy and Jessie got out of the hall, surprised by the announcement, and tired from the hour it was given. 

-"I can't believe someone would actually rob the guy, he was always so prepped, so anxious to kick some criminal ass every single time, and look at him now."-Jessie shook her head and sighed. -"He must be really bummed out from losing to one lousy criminal, 'would be more respectful to lose to say, a squad of criminals. At least it'd be less embarrassing."-Jessie said, joking. 

Katy stayed silent, still trying to comprehend that a task that was deemed impossible by many criminals in the past, had been done by _one_ man. It was fascinating, yet also frightening, knowing that the criminal is on the loose.

-"Quiet again eh?"-Jessie nudged. -"Thinking about the CIU guy again I bet."

-"CIU?"-She thought. -"Oh yeah, the Criminal Investigation Unit...The lie."-She added in her thought, feeling ashamed for lying in the first place.

-"As long as he won't keep you _too_ busy from the investigation, I guess it's alright with me."-Jessie smiled and gave her friend a pat on the back, walking with her back to their workstations.

 

 

Throughout the days Blake was spending his time recovering, the SPPD was on the case, getting more pieces of evidence from as the investigation went further.

 

-"Have you seen what the forensics team brought up yet?"-Jessie asked, annoyed a little. -"Those guys are keeping it to themselves for too long."

-"Well, they confirmed the attacker was carrying a machine gun, an ALIG type model, alongside some kind of smoke grenades."

-"When did they say _that_?"

-"I got to talk to one of them during lunch, he also mentioned they found blood on the crime scene."  

-"So now we know who's the criminal then, one less thing to do."-Jessie said, relieved.

-"Actually, no."-Katy corrected. -"For some reason, when they checked the DNA in the blood, it wasn't registered to anybody, they couldn't tell who it belongs to."

-"Shit."-Jessie cursed. -"Well, that just makes finding the guy even harder."-She sighed.

 

All of a sudden, someone called Jessie's name. -"Jessie Lee, report to the interrogation room immediately."

-"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that one."

-"Why were you called?"-Katy asked, overwhelmed.  

-"I gotta interrogate the rich guy as part of the investigation, so far he didn't say much to the team that showed up at his place, they want me to crack him open a bit."-Jessie joked. -"See you later."-Jessie then waved her hand, leaving.

 

Justin was sitting in the interrogation room, looking at his surroundings and shaking with fear. He was nervous, anxious, afraid of the small dark room with no windows. It had a table, two chairs, one which was already occupied by him, and a camera constantly watching him from the top corner of the wall.

Jessie entered the room, calm and ready to interrogate him. -"Good afternoon Mr. Justin Parley, I'm Jessie, and you're here because we need some answers. So let's keep it short, just tell me what you saw, and then you can leave."-Jessie said in a serious tone, though she was merely pretending to be a 'good cop', to calm him down.

-"A-Alright. I'll talk."-Justin said, still shaking.

-"Good."-Jessie said, calmly. -"Can you describe what happened at the night of the heist?"-She then asked, taking out a notepad to write down his answer.

-"I remember it as if it was only yesterday."-He admitted, then continued. -"I was in my bedroom, asleep, then I got an emergency call from one of the guards. He said a criminal broke in, so I got out of bed, and took a glass of water with me."

-"Why did you take a glass of water with you?"-Jessie interrupted, confused all of the sudden.

-"It was all part of the act. I pretend that I'm not aware of the situation, it makes the criminal calmer, feeling his victim is helpless and scared. I did that same act to every single one who broke into my estate, and they all fell for it."

Jessie was surprised that a scared looking man like Justin, would come up with a plan like that. -"What did you do next?"

-"I went downstairs and confronted the criminal."-He answered. -"He, like all of them, fell for the bait. Then, I pretended that I was typing in the password into the keypad that locked the safe. But in reality, I pressed a hidden button underneath it, which called my guards to the scene."

-"You really planned this through did you?"

-"I did. It was all going according to plan, but something wasn't right. When I ordered my men to shoot the bastard, the bullets didn't do a thing. They hit the criminal's body, and he was even bleeding, but was still standing like it was nothing. He's a _demon_ , a goddamn _demon_..."-He continued, panicking. -"He killed my men brutally, leaving only a couple severely injured, and even they died from their wounds eventually."-He panicked, tears coming from his eyes as he remembered the grim scene.

-"Wait, you said the criminal didn't feel the bullets?"-Jessie asked. -"Did he wear anything in particular that would make him bulletproof?"

-"Not that I could tell. He was wearing a gas mask, and what seemed to be a regular outfit, maybe he had a bullet proof vest attached to his entire body."

-"That, or he found the Kevlar implants."-She replied, rubbing her chin with her hand. -"They used to be available to the SPPD, till they got banned and the city hall requested to get rid of every single unit. Maybe the criminal got his hands on those implants somehow, even if they were outlawed."

-"That explains why he was so strong, I can't believe implants like these even existed!"-Justin said, shocked.

-"I'm surprised he found them in the first place."-Jessie admitted.

-"When he killed all of my guards, I surrendered, and just let him take the money. I gave in to his terms, and did what he asked me to do, bring two bags to carry my hard earned cash away. He then told me that it was over, that I wasn't prepared for him, and I really wasn't. I was so hopeless, that I begged him not to take it, I literally begged on my knees for mercy."

-"He agreed to my surprise. He said he will not take all of it, but I still didn't want him to get away. While he was gathering my money, I noticed a pistol beside me, I had an idea, to shoot him in the head, and end his life. But I was afraid, so afraid that my hands shook as I held the pistol, he heard and stopped me. He convinced me, saying that my life isn't worth it, and my money is nothing more than a printed piece of paper. He was right, and I even thanked him for sparing my life, the only thing I could thank him for."

Jessie's eyebrows rose in shock, surprised that a criminal would even say anything like that. -"What happened next?"-She asked. -"He just _left_?"

-"Yes, accompanied by someone else, who laughed at me for my weakness."-He stopped, his witnessing story was over. -"And that's all I can say."

Jessie stayed silent for a few short minutes, writing down his evidence on the notepad, making sure that everything was there. However, something was on her mind.

-"About that act, you're telling me you've been doing this multiple times? Luring criminals into your estate just to kill them?"

-"Yes."-He confessed. -"I'm doing it to avenge the death of my wife, Michel. Those criminal scum are the same people who took her away from me, and I wanted to take their lives away as a response."

-"Tell me about your wife, what happened to her?"

-"It all happened four years ago, a criminal robbed into our estate as usual. He was a G-king, he looked like one judging by his clothes. A crazy type, unstable and bloodthirsty. At first I thought I could solve this with justice, by sending him to rot in prison for the rest of his life, but before I could declare his verdict, he took away my wife from me."

-"Solve it with justice? You mean suing him?"

 Justin replied with a gentle nod. -" I used to do that to all of the criminals who robbed my estate, back then they weren't so many, at the time when I thought I wouldn't have to sort to violence. The G-king pulled out his pistol in a flash, shooting my wife three times, I responded quickly and ran to her, then ordered the guards to kill him on sight. One of them shot directly at his forehead, killing him instantly."

-"She died from her injuries, right?"

-"Yes... I lost the love of my life to that **_son of a bitch_**."-He cursed. -"After her death, I promised that I would avenge her death, by killing every single criminal who will dare to step in my property. As a result, I hired more guards, and locked the safe with the date of our wedding, to never forget about the promise. I kept it until this day."

Jessie's eyes shrunk, she couldn't believe an innocent looking man would come up with something like this. -"So you were going above the law just to avenge your wife? You know what you did is illegal right? You can't decide on a criminal's fate, that's not _your_ job, it's _ours_."-Jessie then spoke in a serious tone, standing up, showing her 'bad cop' side.

-"It's my property god dammit!"-Justin cursed again. -"I can do whatever I want on my estate, those scum deserve to die and you know it!"

-"No, you can't."-She frowned. -"You can't kill people just because you feel like it, even if it's in your own house. We do what we do because that is our job, and we know for sure that the criminals we face are to be killed for their actions. You have no right to interfere with our job, and doing so can end you up behind bars."

When Justin heard that he might get in prison for his actions, he suddenly started to cry and shake again. -"No! You don't understand! If the public knows about this, my business will be ruined, years of hard work will be gone! I'll be back on the streets just like I started! P-Please, I beg of you, do not tell anyone about this!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for the lack of updates, real life has been keeping me really busy, but I'm not giving up on this story just yet! More chapters will come along as planned c:


	28. What's your offer?

-"They'll find out one way of another about what you did."-Jessie answered, serious.

-"What if I'll double my donations to the SPPD? I'll give you all the money you want, I swear!"-He begged.

-"Are you seriously trying to _bribe_ the SPPD?"-She asked, brow raised.

-"I-I just want this to stay between us, the last thing I want is to go to jail, I'll do anything, just please don't arrest me!"

-"You can't just walk out of here without being punished for your actions."

-"I-I know!"-Justin had an idea. -"I-I have something for you, a video surveillance footage, from my living room."-Justin took the data disk containing the footage out of his pocket, revealing it to Jessie. Once she saw the piece of evidence, she became intrigued.  

-"The forensic guys told me that all the video evidence was cut before the criminal got to the safe."-Jessie said, shocked. -"How in the world did you get a recording?"

-"He might be stupid to think all of my video surveillance is operated on one station, but I'm not. I have a separate hidden camera in my living room, it filmed everything you'll need to know about him. It'll be yours if you keep the public out of this."

-"You realize this room is being recorded right?"-Jessie pointed at one of the cameras in the room, it zoomed on Justin's stressed look. -"You're attempting to bribe the SPPD _again_ , and now with information."

-"I _am_ aware of that."-He said, calming down and letting out a sigh. -"But I need the public's eye away from this, do what you will, but just make sure the press won't know about this case. You know very well what will happen if the citizens find out about this, there will be more riots than you are facing at this very moment."

 -"Every day I see them on the news, citizens gathered up, riled up and angry, against you, against this war, against the law. So, my offer is to provide the SPPD with as much information I have about the crook, by giving you this piece of evidence, in exchange for you to let this case slide. Hell, I'll double the donations and make damn sure the SPPD gets the funds it needs to get not just that one criminal down, but the whole their goddamn community."

Despite knowing that letting this case slide is against the law, Jessie was convinced. Letting Justin go could help the SPPD financially, it needs as much money as it can get at this point, yet this wasn't up to her. -"I'll have to talk to the police chief about your offer, I doubt he'll agree to those terms though. You're dismissed for now."-She got up, opening the door.

-"Until he decides, the data disk stays with me, if you want your criminal and my money, then I want my slate cleaned."-Justin stood up and headed out, leaving.

-"You really tend to change your behavior huh? Going from scared and hopeless, to serious and professional?"-Jessie mentioned as he leaved.

Justin stopped, and then answered. -"When I need to play the victim, I play him, but when my status is at stake, I have to be serious."-He looked at Jessie with his brows lowered, finally leaving the room.

 

To Jessie, the man was a big surprise after the interrogation. A man who looked like a coward, managed to think everything through, right from the smallest details, just to make sure every criminal who passed would be sent to justice on his own terms. Something that is considered illegal, yet was admittedly clever.

She went to the chief of the SPPD, to find out whether the deal will be made or not. In her mind, she imagined him to reply with a single "No" and cancel the deal as soon as he'd hear it. The chief barely did any negotiations with criminals or civilians, he followed the law as much as he could, even if it turns out to be unfair for certain people.

-"What do you mean you're 'considering it'?! Sorry for the expression, but are you goddamn crazy?!"-Jessie yelled, outraged.

-"Dare to look me in the eye and say we do not have an issue with the public."-The chief angered, standing up. -"Hell, just last week there were false reports about us on the news, that we're 'immoral' and 'heartless' because of our job alone.-"He said, quoting in the air. -"And with Justin hiding his true self for so long, the people will blame _us_ for not realizing it earlier, they'd be even more angry knowing that the same man manages the city's bank."

-"What about the bribe? Don't tell me that it's _completely_ fine for him to bribe us with information and money!"-Jessie started to walk around the room. -"Who does he think he is? Just because he has money, don't mean he can control us!"-She yelled.

-"Take a look at these papers and tell me otherwise."-The chief slid a folder across the desk, and Jessie picked it up. -"See those red numbers on the corner?"-He walked to her, pointed his finger at the stats. -"That's how much money we lost, and how much we have to pay back. I don't suppose you have a _diamond mine_ to give the SPPD any _alternative_ sources for money."-As he said his words, Jessie looked at him and replied by slowly shaking her head.  

-"As for the other donators, they haven't been giving much lately, they started to lose hope in us.-"He admitted, sounding disappointed in his words. -"Justin's the only man left whose still willing to help. We're in serious debt and we do not want to stir even more problems with the public, I don't see why we shouldn't make this deal. He gets his freedom and case erased, and we get his extra funding and information about the heist."

Jessie couldn't believe that the chief sided with Justin, but she understood that he is a powerful ally, even if the process is considered illegal. She left the chief's office, getting back to work. Shortly after leaving, the offer was made, and Justin gladly handed over the data disk. The footage in it showed Blake's attack in the estate's living room, how he shot the guards who tried stopping him, and even how he left the scene, accompanied by another criminal.

 

 With the footage given, forensic investigators also found footprints, blood stains and bullet caps, all leading to the unknown criminal who apparently, doesn't even exist. Even when they sent the samples to other labs, they didn't find any sources of identification, not even a name. The only relative they found was the mother of the criminal. Her interrogation was recorded, yet it was archived and only allowed to be seen by authorized personnel.

 

Alongside the investigation team, Katy and Jessie got to see the only pieces of video footage left before being cut off, they showed brief moments of the criminal running about the estate's yard, even revealing how he got over the fence in the first place. A large portion of it was static noise and blur, yet the images were clear enough to show what happened that night. The team gasped at the violent scenes, writing down any important detail they could get from the footage. 

-"It was too easy for him to even get inside, Justin even planted that tree on purpose by the looks of it. Nobody in their right mind would put it there, it's as if he was asking to be robbed, and he was!"-Jessie whispered, dumbfounded.

-"I'm surprised the guy didn't think it was too good to be true."-Katy admitted, whispering as well. -"He didn't think it was suspicious at all."-Katy then pointed her finger at the crook's shadowy figure on the screen, showing him climbing the tree and landing on a nearby bush.

As they continued watching, they got to the footage Justin gave to the SPPD as part of the deal, which showed the safe being robbed by Blake. Not before Justin started his act to confuse him, and stir up the gunfight.

-"Holy shit."-Katy mouthed, seeing how aggressive he was, it was terrifying to watch. All those men getting killed, and him still standing with all the bullet wounds covering his body. -"Justin wasn't bragging about the 'demon' part that's for sure."

Then, they got to the part where he was confronting Justin alone, with nobody left but the two of them.

-"His voice is even creepier than his actions, listen."-Jessie increased the volume of the footage. As the sound got louder, they heard him speak, his voice filtered by the mask, yet still understandable.

-"That mask alone gives me chills."-Katy said, feeling her skin twitch slightly. -"I don't even want to know whose face is behind it, probably some kind of monster."-She feared.  

-"I'll say."-Jessie agreed, afraid as well.

It then showed the conflict Justin had with the criminal, and how in a surprising way, he was spared, despite the bloodshed that was made on his men. In Katy's eyes, it reminded of herself, of how she spared the life of the criminal she met back at the harbor.

In Jessie's eyes however, Justin's behavior was confusing, from being a coward to a fearless man, and back to a coward once proven wrong.

Jessie also thought the criminal was showing a sign of weakness, by forgiving this easily.  Obviously it's not like she wanted the only living witness to die instead. It just felt odd for someone to do that, especially a criminal who seemed heartless based on his previous actions.

 

 


	29. Hospitality

Blake couldn't stand being tied to a bed 24/7. It was boring the entire time for him, when Maxwell leaving to do his work, and the driver from before, 'babysitting' him to make sure nothing goes out of hand. And when Maxwell was around, he talked fast, acted fast, and of course, reacted fast. As if he was worried about something, when really, he was all calm and cool.

It felt embarrassing not being allowed to get up at all, and having to do everything while in bed, _everything_. And with Maxwell constantly watching over him, it didn't make it any less awkward.

-"You're seriously letting me crap in a goddamn silver can? Can't I just take a dump in a normal toilet? I feel like a fucking child."-Blake angered, pissed off.

-"You want to open your stitches and be crippled for life? If so, go ahead, toilet's over there."-Maxwell answered with a calm, cynical tone, pointing at the hallway.

-"And why do I have to be watched constantly by you two?"-Blake asked, with more aggression to his tone, looking at Maxwell and the driver. -"Can't a guy shit in peace?"

-"Last time I left you alone to recover you caused nothing but trouble.-"He admitted, crossing his arms. -"You ran away from the hospital, caused panic by setting the fire alarm on, and left the building with the risk of getting caught by the cops or be seen by the public. I won't make the same mistake twice, me and _Deon_ here will make sure you stay where you're supposed to be, in bed, recovering."-Maxwell nudged his head toward the direction of the driver. The dark skinned man, now known as Deon, looked at Maxwell, then at Blake with a menacing look. 

-"How did you know I left?"-Blake asked, remembering that Maxwell never really attended in person at the hospital.

-"I know people who give me this kind of information, Deon is one of them, he followed you around as soon as soon as you escaped the hospital."

Blake paused for a moment, remembering how he saw a familiar looking van on the day he escaped, he didn't think much of it at the time. He was more focused on escaping and getting back home. -"So you predicted I'd escape?"

-"No, it came to me as a surprise actually."-Maxwell admitted. -"I occasionally send Deon to patrol the city, and he ended up noticing your escape plan. I learned from that day that you, Blake Price, don't like to sit around for too long, even if standing up can eventually _kill_ you. So now I make sure you _stay put._ "

Blake sighed deeply, laying his head on a pillow. -"Great. So what are _you_ gonna do? Stay here and babysit me the whole time?"

-"Me and Deon will change shifts of course, I have my business to do, and he has his own. But, because my _personal_ business is far more urgent than his, Deon will be watching you most of the time."-Maxwell said, pointing at Deon with his thumb. -"Don't underestimate him, he's stronger than you think, so don't do anything stupid while I'll be gone."-He then warned.

Deon didn't look that muscular in Blake's eyes, in fact, he looked much weaker than him. But unlike Blake, Deon had more experience in physical fights, he could easily pin down the injured criminal if necessary. -"You rely on your gun to do all the work, without it, you're weak like a cop."-Deon smirked, stretching his knuckles.

-"Where _is_ my gun anyway?"-Blake turned to the other side of the bed, noticing nothing but his old clothes and the equipment he carried during the heist, no sign of the ALIG.

-"I kept it hidden in storage, you'll get it once you're ready to fight. In your condition, a cop could finish you off in one direct shot."-Maxwell approached Blake, directing his hand to the chest. -"There, one shot to the heart, and you're dead. Even the Kevlar implants won't save you right now."

Maxwell wanted to continue talking about how strict it was going to be for Blake, but was interrupted by a phone call. He paused, pressing his ear piece to answer it.

-"Talk to me."-He said directly, moving around the room as he listened. He nodded as the conversation furthered, looking at Blake, then at Deon, and moving again. Blake couldn't hear a single thing, only silent chatter, but it sounded very important.

-"I'll be there in ten minutes."-He said calmly, yet quickly, hanging up and moving towards the stairs. The two looked at Maxwell leaving the area, Deon not too excited about it, but Blake was filled with curiosity.

-"Where you going?"-Blake yelled from his bed, hoping Maxwell would hear him as he walked downstairs. He didn't reply, the only sound that came afterwards was the sound of the door closing.

-"It's none of your concern, he's a busy man, 'shouldn't be new to you by now."-Deon replied to Blake's yelling. -"High rank guys like him are working on something, he barely has time off. And when he _does_ , he usually spends it out of the house."

-"Don't you want to know what he's doing?"-Blake asked, curious.

-"I don't. Maxwell keeps his life a secret to me, and so I keep my life a secret from him. Simple. I only do what he tells me to do, and he pays me in return."

 

Blake sighed, now he had to sit and wait 'till recovery, while Deon watching his every move, as if Maxwell doing it wasn't annoying enough. But, he had to suffer it through. As those recovery days had passed, he got to learn a few things about Maxwell and his job, and even some information about Deon and where he came from.

During Deon's guarding hours, Blake would ask him questions he had in mind, the biggest one was where he got the job. He looked like a Blood Rose, but he wasn't one, and gang members tend to work with one another rather with rival gangs or civilians. He was very curious about Deon's origins, that he just couldn't stop asking about it.

-"You're not a G-king right?"-Blake asked, it sounded a bit silly to ask, but curiosity kept him forward. G-kings and Blood Roses never worked together, despite they're against a common enemy, cooperation is considered to be rare between the two rivaling gangs. He then took a gander at Deon to maybe find any signs of gang membership tattooed on his exposed arms. No signs of any gang loyalty anywhere, he wore a casual tank top, saggy blue jeans, and a golden necklace with a cross on it.  

-"No. I don't belong to _any_ gang."-Deon replied, sighing from that dumb question. -"I'm just a citizen working for him, I got no ties to any gang. The only thing I got with the Blood Roses are the loans I used to take from them, nothing more than that."

-"Wait, you actually take loans from them? I still pay my loan and it's killing me, how the hell you've been holding up?"- Blake asked. To him, paying the rent for his apartment was a thanks to a loan, alongside other fees he has to pay with the CPP pressing down his money like crazy. His actual earnings disappear as quickly as they came, as he tends to spend it on ammunition, what's left goes to paying for basic needs.

-"I didn't take that much, I paid it back on time so no trouble pops up. Unlike other loaning agencies, I think the Blood Roses are more, reliable."-Deon admitted. -"They give you the money, no questions asked, and then you pay it back, no stupid ass background checks and extra interest fees."

-"But when you _don't_... You get your shit stolen from your house and your ass beaten by thugs."-Blake corrected. The Blood Roses are notoriously cruel to the people who don't pay their loan back.

-"True, but I never got to that point, so it _don't_ concern me."

-"What kind of trouble you got yourself into that you're working with Maxwell out of the sudden? From taking a loan to being an _escort_ , 'wonder what kind of _business deals_ you sign with him when no one's looking."-Blake asked mockingly, laughing as he waited for an answer.

-"None of _your_ goddamn business that's for sure."-Deon mocked him back, getting angrier. -" And you better keep your mouth shut before I shut it for you."-He added, clicking his knuckles. From Deon's perspective, it sounded like Blake was _implying_ something, something that he didn't want to even imagine.

 

Before Blake could retaliate further, Maxwell entered the room, to release Deon from his shift.

-"You ladies had a good time together?"-Maxwell chuckled. -"I heard your chatter all the way 'cross the stairs."

-"If you can call it that, sure."-Deon responded, sighing with relief, knowing that he can finally go home. -"He won't stop with the questions and I rather put a bullet through my brain than answer any more of 'em."

Maxwell laughed, walking to Blake and giving him a rough knuckle rub on the head. -"That's a Blood Rose for 'ya, persistent little pricks aren't we?"- He then looked at Deon, smirking. Deon looked back, annoyed.

Deon groaned and walked out of the room. -"Just... call me if you need anything."-He said, leaving the house.

As soon as the door was shut, the two burst out laughing. -"Ah Blake, you little bastard."-He "complimented". -"Pissing off my guy like that, you must've said some _really stupid_ shit to make him _that_ angry."

-"Either that or he just has a bad temper."-Blake chuckled, Maxwell followed.

-"So, what _did_ you ask?"

 

 

The week was coming to an end, and Katy couldn't wait to get home and get some well earned time off. Jessie invited her to go out to a local bar to have a drink together. The last time they went out was a few years ago, working as enforcers doesn't really bring them much free time to relax and live a little.

Katy got herself dressed nicely for the evening, she wore a dark blue dress with matching low heeled shoes, and carried a small black purse around her shoulder. Jessie on the other hand, decided to go with a more casual look. Wearing a simple jeans colored jacket, a white t-shirt, a pair of comfortable black pants, and a pair of sneakers to top it off.

The two met at the bar, Jessie waving towards her. They greeted one another and sat down at a nearby table.

-"Well, well, well, look at what we have here. Damn, I never thought you'd show up _this_ fancy to a bar. Your boyfriend would probably get jealous if a bunch of guys start staring. Speaking of, you could've invited him to come with us."

Katy remembered about the lie again, she still doesn't know if she should tell her the truth. -"About that... We broke up."-She admitted. Then thought to herself.-" ** _Crap, why do I keep lying..."_**

-"So soon? How come?"-Jessie asked while turning to grab a beer for herself and Katy.

She mumbled a few words at a time, not sure what to answer to that. -"A-Actually...I have a confession to make."

Jessie turned back with two bottles in her hand. -"What is it?"- She took one bottle and started to drink from it.

-"The guy, from the CIU...He doesn't work there..."

-"I was going to ask you about that to be honest..."-Jessie admitted. -"The only Blake I heard that works there is the janitor, and he's in his late 50s. Unless you're into older men and you never told me?"-She then looked at Katy with a concerned look. -"Is there anything I need to know about?"

-"Blake and I...We're not even together, we're just...Acquaintances. We talked a few times, there were some arguments and ever since we barely communicate."

-"Where did you meet this guy then? And _why_ did you have to _lie_ about it?"-Jessie said, feeling a little annoyed that this has been a lie. 

She breathed in, afraid of Jessie's response to what she's about to answer. -"Remember that night at the harbor? Well, that's where I met him."-She paused, noticing Jessie's interest, then continued. -"I planned to arrest him, but for some reason, I chose to spare him and instead send him off to the clinic at the poor district."

Jessie then realized something. -"You told me about that guy before. 'Didn't think _you_ from all people would start having 'feelings' for him."

-"I just sometimes think about him, maybe a little too much. We met again a few times, but it doesn't look like it's ever going to be just a regular friendship. It's either gonna be a constant rivalry or just a silent chat once in a while."

-"Good, and you should keep it at a distance. Criminals tend to play black widow sometimes."-Jessie warned, taking a sip from her beer.

-"What do you mean by that?"

-"I mean, he **_knows_** what he wants. He acts all sweet at the beginning, some 'misunderstood' soul who needs a little company. But as soon as you fall for him, he uses that against you, he can get his hands on classified information. And even _worse_ , once you're seduced enough, he does whatever he wants with you, and kills you when he's done."

While Jessie explained to her how dangerous the criminal could be, Katy started to realize that it made sense in a way.

Blake did act surprisingly tame compared to the first time they met, which didn't make much sense but it didn't bother her at the time. Not to mention the deal they once had, where if she will be defeated by him, she'd answer him about a question regarding the SPPD. The one about the spy program.

However, it wasn't exactly _classified_ information, as the civilians of San Paro protested against it in the first place. Seems like the criminals were disconnected from the outside world.

Yet the last part Jessie mentioned concerned her the most, what if he'd actually want to do it. To lure her and kill her once he's "done" with her. 

But at the same time, she couldn't see it. The same man who tried to kill her at first glance, was also the man who retrieved her ID from the hospital despite his injuries.

The man who invited her out just to get to know her a little better. 

There was definitely something going on, yet she chose to ignore it. The last thing Katy wanted was _another_ relationship, especially with the likes of him. Who knows how would it end up.

-"I'm not gonna let him."-She said confidently, taking a sip. 

-"Good."-Jessie nodded. -"Just stay safe when you're around him next time, I don't want you come to the station with bruises all over your face. You already had a few on your cheek that one time."-She added. 

That "one time" being the day she tried to arrest Blake, an unsuccessful attempt that ended up with a rather _unexpected_  result. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't been updating lately, my job schedule has kept me pretty busy and distracted from my writing.  
> But, it also gave me time to re-write some of the first chapters to fix the issues I came by when I re-read them a couple of times. 
> 
> -Checking the first chapters for any changes would be advised, though they're small, but it never hurts to look c: 
> 
> -Sprinkle


	30. Promotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With luck, I managed to write while still being pretty busy from work~  
> Enjoy <3
> 
> -Sprinkle

Throughout the rest of that day, Maxwell was mostly silent about the joke Blake said about him. He would intentionally change subjects just so he won't have to think about it even for a second.

When he first heard it, he awkwardly coughed, followed by a chuckle and a pat on Blake's back. He felt a little angry inside, he didn't like to be mocked about his _personal relationships_ like that. But at the same time, it was just Blake, his friend who joked about him, no reason to make a big deal out of it.

Blake was curious though, he wanted to know why was it a such a big deal to them in the first place. He tried asking again whenever the opportunity came by, but they both denied to reply anything related to his question.

 

The remaining weeks of Blake's stay passed quickly. Fortunately for Maxwell, he wouldn't have to babysit him anymore, and "tolerate" his constant curiosity over his private life.

To make sure he's ready to leave, Maxwell invited up the same doctor from before to make a final check up.

-"He is functional, though I wouldn't tamper with the implants again if I were you."-The doctor noted to Maxwell. -"Some parts of the implant are still deep inside his body, any sort of tampering or attempt in removing them will cause more damage. Next time get a _real_ professional to do this job."- He added, criticizing Maxwell.

He sighed in response. -"I didn't know your service even existed at the time."

-"Well, now you know. _You won't make the same mistake twice right?"-_ The doctor mocked.

-"Anyway."-He continued. -"I should get going, I got other patients to give a crap about. You'll be charged with your ID card as promised."

Maxwell nodded, dismissing the doctor. -"I'll go get your gun."-He said to Blake. -"And don't try any funny business, Deon's right beside you."-He then pointed at him.

Deon rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. Blake glanced at him, let out a smile. -"You're going to leave, you should at least be a little happy about it."

He let out a fake smile. -"Sure I am, just look at my smile. _Look at it_."-He pointed as his grin. -"At least I can finally go back to doing my real work, 'sick of being your babysitter."

Blake ignored him and waited for Maxwell to come back.

After all this time of being unarmed and bed-bound, he could finally stand and stretch. As he shifted his body forward, he felt his muscles twitch a little.

Maxwell came back with Blake's ALIG, with a box of ammunition attached.

-"Where did you get that ammo?"-Blake pointed.

-"A complimentary gift from Simeone himself. He appreciated your work back at the Parley's."

-"And you're only telling this to me _now_ because? Did he give me anything else? Maybe like a car or something?

-"I like to keep these things for last. Besides, tonight's your promotion, you deserve a little tasting of what it's like to be an elite criminal."- He explained. -"And no, for that you'll have to pay for yourself. But think of it this way, with the money you have, and with the extra you'll earn, you could buy almost any car you want."

Blake felt excited, he couldn't wait to get promoted. To finally be able to buy whatever he wanted, there was so much he desired to get, that so far he couldn't afford. A new car, fresh food, high quality booze, and maybe even an upgraded ALIG for a change.

Maxwell then approached him, holding a clothes hanger with a suit attached.-"I also have this for you, so you'll wear something more formal tonight."-The suit had small crimson roses stitched around the middle, with small thorns surrounding the shoulders. This suit had a very high importance in the gang, it represents the highly elite members, who could truly afford to wear it. The rest of it was completely black, it represented the business, of how dark yet simple it was.

Blake stepped forward to try it on, it was a little small, yet it fit for the most part. -"Damn, it looks like I dropped a few pounds."-He chuckled, looking at the nearby mirror.

-"Nah, you still look pretty fat in that suit."-Deon mocked.

He watched from the side, let a little smile, seeing how enthused the two were with tonight's event. He wanted to tag along, get a fancy suit for himself too, but he wasn't a Blood Rose, so he couldn't enter the event. Maxwell already had ideas of what to do with Deon during the party, casual surveillance and status report. If any enforcers would approach the building, he will be the one to notify.

 

Blake spent the rest his day getting ready for the big event. Alongside getting a haircut, he also trimmed his goatee, making himself look more professional. He re-applied his hair dye, to strengthen his blue color, and wore the suit given to him by Maxwell.

Maxwell, on the other hand, was still focused on other things. The threat of having multiple criminal figures in one big room, it was a risk, not just for him, but for all of the guests, including Blake. He spent his time off working on security measurements, and making sure the venue attracts as less attention as possible.

 

 

Night time came quickly, and the three of them were ready to head out to the party. Maxwell and Blake wore their Blood Rose themed suits, while Deon stayed in his casual look, so he won't stand out too much.

Maxwell decided to drive there with his own car, which made Blake very excited. He never got to see that vehicle from the inside. Just sitting on those leather seats already made him feel important. The two sat in the front while Deon secluded himself in the back. In the trunk, they placed the bags with the money from the heist, as proof of Blake's actions.

-"I see your enjoying it, that's good. You could get yourself one of those after a few missions."-Maxwell smiled. -"Wait until you hear how it purrs."-He then started the engine, just the sound of it made Blake mouth the words "Holy shit".

The drive itself was fast, Maxwell didn't stop for a minute, getting there on time was his top priority. That and to prevent any witnesses from seeing his car. It made Blake and Deon toss and turn on every corner, Blake was having a blast already, but Deon felt sick to his stomach.

They arrived to the venue. People were entering, their cars parked all around it. Not just any cars, ones you don't get to see that often, many of which were stolen. The expensive cars, the well-dressed criminals, proved that this gang had class.

Maxwell and Blake took the bags and got inside, while Deon started his patrol around the building. He was given an earpiece, so he could contact Maxwell instantly.

Deon wasn't the only one guarding however. For some reason other guards came by as well, to keep an extra defense layer so it seemed.  

Blake could barely see anything. The place was dimmed with a crimson color, and packed with people. Above his head there were cages hung by the ceiling, with women dancing in them. In the far right corner, beside the dance floor, was a bar with all sorts of drinks. The music was so loud he could barely hear himself think.

They were greeted by a crowd cheering at them as they walked further, though most of them were doing it because of Maxwell's presence. His rank was well-known around the gang, so his reputation was high too.

The excited crowd pushed them further in, to the center of the room, where the contacts were standing, waiting. The contacts present took a gander at Blake and his appearance, shocked to see him in a Blood Rose suit.

Byron walked to Blake, as he did a spotlight lit beside them and the music was silenced. The crowd gathered around, forming a large circle.

-"Ladies and gentlemen, we've gathered here tonight, to honor the man who did the impossible. The man who successfully robbed the Parley's and made it out alive, this man beside us, Blake price, has stolen over a million dollars in cash."-When Byron mentioned the amount of stolen money, the crowd began to whisper to each other.

-"And I have brought proof of it too!"-Blake stepped forward, revealing the bags to the contacts. They were surprised that there were over a million dollars in those bags. At first it seemed like a bluff to them, until they saw it for themselves.

-"As a reward for your hard work over the years, and your recent heist, you will be a part of the Elite criminals in this gang. There you'll earn more money, gain access to high quality guns and ammunition, and most of all, get your well-deserved respect. From me, and all of the contacts present."-Byron announced, the crowd raised their drinks in the air and cheered.

Byron took out a small box, inside it was a small, silver badge. The badge had a skull with two knives crossed behind it, representing the elite title. As Blake got the badge attached on his chest, he noticed Maxwell had a similar one, but golden. He wondered why it was different than his, but only for a second before turning to look at Byron.

Once the ceremony was done, the crowd's cheer intensified. -"Now, **_LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!_** "-Byron yelled enthusiastically.

 

The party officially began, with the music coming back to its loud volume, and the spotlights targeting the dance floor.

Blake was so excited he didn't even know where to begin, there was all kinds of drinks served at the bar, drugs handed over on a silver platter, and the music that made him want to hit the dance floor.

-"Go ahead, have a good time."-Maxwell whispered to him, gave him a pat on the back. -"I'll have a few drinks, maybe _check out the view_ on the side."-He winked, taking a short glance at the people walking beside him.

 

Blake nodded, walking to the bar and ordering a few drinks. One shot, then another, then another. For every shot he took he screamed his heart out, with a few guys joining him. Yelling **_"Blood Rose pride, Blood Rose pride, the pride cops can never divide!"_**

Then he wanted to try the drug that was handed around, the same kind Maxwell had back at his place. It took him only one pill to get really high, he felt the room spinning around him, but he still kept partying.

On the dance floor, he shared his spot with a few ladies, they danced close to him in a flirtatious way. He was too drunk to care who they were, in his mind, for some he imagined someone else beside him. Maybe it was just the alcohol acting up, but instead of those women, he saw _her_. But only for a glimpse.

He started to lose his vision, it became blurry, too blurry to see anything, and his body shaking from the mixture of alcohol and drugs. He fell on the rough floor and hit his head, it made him lose consciousness as the loud music pumped and eyes slowly closed.

 

 

 After a while his hearing was getting clearer, he heard someone call his name over and over, it was too blurry for him to figure out who it was. Whoever it was, kept calling his name and gave him a few slaps on the cheek. Then he was dragged by someone.

 ** _-"You hold onto the legs, I'll get the shoulders."_** -The man said to someone, Blake was still unaware of the situation.

 ** _-"Don't forget the bags, take 'em when we get him in the car."-_** The man added.

 

-"W-what's going on? Who are you? Where are you taking me?"-Blake said, mumbled and confused.

-"You partied a little _too hard_ last night, so you passed out."-The man was revealed to be Maxwell, and Deon carrying him from his legs. -"You're not the only one, a bunch of other people crashed here last night."-He added.

Blake looked around as he was dragged away, there were multiple people on the ground, intoxicated just like he was. The entire room was filthy, and the smell intensified the more he was around it.

-"O-Oh god..."-His head spun again, this time feeling sick. -"I think I'm gonna..."-He mumbled again, couldn't hold it in much longer

-"Yeah thanks for puking on my shoes asshole."-Deon enraged, he wanted to punch him, but he knew he was already in a bad state. -"Those were brand new too..."

Maxwell laughed. -"Better out than in."-He said mockingly. -"You must've drank too much last night, and now you got a shitty hangover."

Blake shook his head. -"N-not just that, I-I also took the pills some guys were serving... They looked like the ones you use."-He mumbled.

-"And you mixed it with booze?!"-Maxwell said in shock. -"It's a miracle alone that you're still alive. That stuff is strong on its own, mixing it with anything else can be deadly."

-"It was deadly alright..."-Blake said, then slowly laughing and moving his head around while being dragged away.

 

After they dragged him away from the venue, Maxwell put him in the back, while Deon took the front seat this time. They drove Blake home and escorted him to his apartment so he could rest for now. During the ride he didn't stop babbling, spouting random words from his mouth and giggling at them.

When they got to the door, Maxwell took the key from Blake's pocket to get inside. 

 

-"T-Thanks Maxwell, y-you're the best man, I f-fucking love you."-Blake said drunkenly, giving him an awkward smile.

He decided not to say anything, because he knew it would be pretty pointless to talk to him when he's _clearly_ not himself. Deon tried to hold his laughter, but lost control once he put Blake on the couch.

-"He's either drunk as shit, or he's _admitting_ something to you."-Deon mocked.

-"Just, get some rest."-He said to Blake, ignoring Deon. -"you'll probably get a mission either tonight or tomorrow morning."

 

Once the two left the building, it didn't take long for Blake to peacefully fall asleep. He was tired, dizzy, and most of all, hungover.

 


	31. Aftermath

His eyes opened, he saw a bright light ahead. In the distance there was someone standing at the horizon. A silhouette of someone, who felt oddly familiar even though he couldn't recognize the person from first glance.

As he walked slowly towards the light, it became clear of who it was.

- ** _"Anderson?"-_** He said, his voice echoed around.

The silhouette nodded slowly.

- ** _"What are you doing here?"_** \- He asked the mysterious silhouette. He wanted to know where he was too, but it was more important to him what was she doing in his dream.

She didn't answer, instead, she walked towards him slowly. The closer she was to him, the area around him became clearer, the darkness was gone. Every step she took, a blaze appeared under her feet, getting rid of the darkness with the light of the fire.

He was confused, so confused he froze in place, unsure of what to do, or say.

Once she was close enough to him, just an inch away, she stopped. She lifted her hand, touching his cheek gently. Her hand felt warm, her touch calmed him down.

-"T-Thank you..."-He whispered, covering her hand with his own. -"I needed this."

-"I...I..."-He wanted to say something, but instead, he felt like he should do something else.

To show, and not just tell.

He leaned in to kiss her, and as soon as his lips touched hers, the light faded. His dream, has ended.

****

Blake gasped, waking up. His forehead was covered in a cold sweat.

He realized it was just a dream, a very odd kind of dream. -"What the hell... Why did I do that..."-He breathed heavily. -"Why was _she_ there...Damn, Maxwell wasn't kidding about the trip those drugs give you..."

 

He went to the bathroom to wash his face, wiping his eyes as he walked through the corridor. -"God damn..."-His eyesight was a little blurry, recovering from the hangover wasn't going to be easy.

-"I could use an ice cold shower right about now..."-He whispered, taking off his clothes, and took a shower. Usually he'd be done showering in a few short seconds, but this time he wanted to feel the water just for a little longer, to freshen up from that bizarre dream. As the drops fell on his body, he still could see a flash from his dream, where he kissed the silhouette.

He got out of the shower, slowly wiping his body and face, still confused. -"Christ...Why do I think about her like that..."-He mumbled, sighing in the process. -"I gotta get my shit together..."-He added, getting dressed.

A thought came in mind, questioning his dream. He wondered why he saw Katy like some sort of angel. An angel who can get rid of his misery and send him to a state of relaxation, of _love_. He had a very unpleasant experience with relationships in the past, and felt that maybe it's his mind trying to tell him something.

Shrugging it off didn't seem like an option however, as the thought ran through his mind the whole time. And every time it came up, his heartbeat increased and a sense of warmth was felt on his chest.

 

The investigation regarding the mansion heist were still underway, the SPPD was looking for any clues that could bring a possible lead on it. So far, they had Justin's video and some local witnesses around the neighborhood, but these pieces of evidence didn't provide anything new.

The description the witnesses gave could easily match any criminal roaming around San Paro, but only one would be the perfect match.

The team of investigators replayed the surveillance videos, alongside the questioning of the person who could've been related to the criminal himself.

In the questioning video, the mother was very secretive about her son, she didn't give the investigators any new material. It seemed like she didn't want to frame him, despite stating in the video that she despised her son going to the route of criminal activity.

From the day the heist was committed, several weeks have passed, the enforcers were working long and hard to track the crook down, yet no success.

Katy wanted to know who it was too, so she asked to receive any information regarding the crook's physical appearances.

She received a file on her E-mail, containing a summary of how he might look like based on the evidence given to the team of investigators.

 

 **NAME** : **_Unknown._** _(The criminal's relative couldn't recall his name, no other leads on names either.)_

 **LAST NAME** : ( _Possibly related to Marie Price, prisoner no. 51379.)_  

 **SEX:** M

 **HEIGHT** : 6'3"

 **AGE:** Mid-to-late twenties. ( _Assumption only, not final.)_

 **OCCUPATION** : Criminal at an unknown gang. ( _Leads claim he might be a Blood Rose._ )

APPEARANCE: ( _based on gathered descriptions of Justin Parley.)_

-Muscular.

-Carries around an ALIG type light machine gun.

-Aggressive.

-Wearing a form of protective coating. ( _Possibly Kevlar Implants.)_

 

**_**ANY OTHER INFMORATION REGARDGING THIS DANGEROUS INDIVIDUAL MUST BE REPORTED IMMEDIATLY._ **

****

The details in the document were all too similar, it suddenly became obvious. Even if the name was never discovered, the other details gave her a very clear image on who it was.

The machine gun, the aggression, the familiar last name, his muscular structure, and the ambition for committing crime.

- ** _"Blake..."-_** She whispered. The sudden realization made her eyes shrink with fear, that the man she met, was the very same man who did the impossible heist.

She didn't believe that Blake of all people would do this, he never looked like a man who would do something as risky as that.

But he did, and got away with it.

 

 

 

It seemed like the dream wasn't the only thing that surprised Blake early in the morning. When he finished getting dressed, he noticed that the two bags of money were zipped shut, just they were when he took them out of estate.

-"Let's see how much I ended up taking."-Blake said to himself, checking the amount of money inside. He hoped he took just about enough to get himself something expensive and shiny. It felt odd to him how he couldn't figure out how much he even took that night.

Ironically, a large portion of the money was gone.

-" ** _WHAT THE FUCK?!_** "-He yelled, angry and confused. -" ** _WHERE'S THE REST? T-THIS CAN'T BE EVERYTHING!_** "

As he searched the bag to check how much was left, he noticed a sheet of paper beside a pack of dollar bills.

-"We congratulate you for your success at the _Parley_ heist, and your promotion to the _Elite_ status. Thanks to you, the gang can prosper properly, we appreciate your _contribution_ *.

*Please note that any big sum of money earned by heists is automatically split 50-50 to the gang in order to fund it efficiently.

Sincerely,

The _Blood Roses_ criminal organization."

 

-" ** _Fuck..."-_** Blake groaned. -"I risked my life for this bullshit? That's not fucking fair..."

Either way a chunk of cash was taken away from him, and it felt horrible. All of the effort it took, only to get half of the profit, made him annoyed.  

To relax himself, he needed to drink something, even if he just recovered from a nearly fatal hangover.

He slowly walked to the fridge, hoping to find at least a can of beer stashed somewhere. Unfortunately, it looked like he drank the rest.

Instead, he lit up a smoke. As he inhaled the fumes, the thoughts of the dream quickly vanished, he sighed of relief, thankful that his mind was clearer now.

 

Another thought replaced his older one. It had been a while since he talked to Rico, and he hasn't talked to him during his recovery period. Now it looked like the right time for a visit, Blake had no plans for the day, except for one possible mission later tonight.

When he got in, he noticed a short line ahead of him. They were waiting to get their treatment, it looked like he would have to wait a while. He took a seat and waited in line, bored out of his mind as time passed slower than ever.

-"Next!"-Rico shouted from the back door, calling in the next person in line. -"Blake? Holy shit..."-He paused, barely able to believe that Blake was standing there in front of him. -"Blake!"-He grinned, happy to see he was alive.

Rico rushed to him, and gave him a big hug. -"God damn it's so good to know you made it, for real too! I didn't think the rumors were true!"

Blake smiled, hugging his friend back. -"Rumors?"-He then let go, curious about what Rico heard.

-"Yeah, they spread around this district quickly. I took care of a few Blood Roses while you were away, 'heard from them about your success. I felt so relived you didn't die, I was stressed as hell, I was afraid my small fuck up would kill you."

-"So I guess Maxwell told you about my stay at his place?"

-"Actually I didn't know that. I mean I heard you were taken to safety, thank god, but I didn't hear _where_ you were taken to."

-"Wait, when did you realize you did something wrong?"-Blake asked, remembering how Maxwell mentioned Rico's work on the surgery, how he thought it wasn't good enough.

-"Much, much later. Around a day after the heist, I felt like shit the entire day, barely got it out of my mind. I'm surprised you even recovered. Must've been tough dealing with that Parley guy."

-"Sure was."-Blake sighed, showing Rico his recovery scars. -"I got treated by Maxwell's hired doc, turns out there's a medical clinic out of town that can help criminals without the city law preventing it."

-"Well, _it is_ out of town after all. I heard about those clinics not too long ago, they're good, but expensive as hell too. Not that it bothers me much, I still get costumers, there will always be people in need of my help."

-"I can't believe I was at his place for two weeks, and yesterday I finally got promoted."

-"Feels amazing doesn't it? Getting the rank of your dreams, I bet you also stole a butt load of money."

-"I did... But because of my rank and how much I ended up taking, the gang took half of it for themselves. 'Didn't even know they would do that, just realized it this morning when I checked my stash."-Blake sighed, still annoyed over his massive loss.

-"Damn...But I guess that's one of the downsides of being an Elite, at least you'll earn the money back faster."-Rico cheered him.

-"Yeah, you're right."-Blake admitted. -"At least I had a kick ass party last night."

-"Oh really? Guess I can't invite you to a drink now can I?"-Rico chuckled.

-"Yeah, I got my promotion there and everything. Maxwell took me home after I passed out, I went a little overboard with the alcohol, and maybe with that one drug served around the venue."

-"I think I know that drug, I had a G-king once who was way too high on that stuff, I was shocked he even made it to the clinic without getting himself killed. I treated him of course, that drug is powerful stuff. Never had a guy who tried it with alcohol though, well, _there is a first time for everything_."

-"I'm fine Ricz, just had a long sleep and now I'm taking some time off. I have a mission to do tonight."

-"What kind?"

-"Don't know, Maxwell didn't say anything about it, just told me to get ready for tonight."

-"Must be important then."-Rico assumed. -"So, what you gonna do with all that money now?"

-"I think first of all I'll get a car, about time I'd stop using those damn cabs. Then maybe an upgraded gun, and some stuff for the house too."

Rico nodded. -"Yeah, you deserve yourself a little treat once in a while. Speaking of, here, have a cold one."-He then took out two ice cold beer bottles from his fridge, handing one out to Blake. He gladly obliged. The two then clinked their beer bottles, and chugged it down together.


	32. Matches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of activity (again), but after so much time of rewriting and thinking, this chapter is finally done!
> 
> Hands up, it's gonna be a long one.

They ended up chatting more than drinking, which was the exact opposite of what Blake thought would happen. Instead, they shared childhood memories together, of the simpler times.

Rico took a small sip from his bottle. –“Oh, remember that one time when we were kids, we used to throw rocks in the sky to see which one reaches the highest?”

-“Can’t forget it.”-Blake chuckled. –“I still remember getting a black eye that day.”

-“Oh and that time you joined the Blood Roses and you gave me that shotgun over there?”-Rico nudged his head at the shotgun hanging above the reception desk. It was covered by a bullet proof glass, containing the shotgun itself with three spare shells. –“In case I might need it one day, and it _does_ help with keeping the trouble away from here.”

Blake smiled, those were indeed the simpler times, they had their difficulties, but it was nice to look back at them once in a while.

As he was listening to one of Rico’s exepriences today at the clinic, he couldn’t help but think about what might happen tonight. Maxwell didn’t provide anything that could give him a clue, which made him curious, and very excited too. His first mission as an Elite.

 

He stayed with him for a while, then he had to leave, to prepare himself for the mission. Just an hour away from it, enough time to get ready.

Back at home, he loaded his ALIG to maximum capacity, readied his pistol, holstered on his right thigh, and had just enough time to enjoy a little drink before work started.

As he put on his clothes, he noticed how the wounds from the heist were starting to heal, and the stitches were not as noticeable as they were. His body was showing signs of recovery, ready to get into the battlefield once more.

Maxwell waited for him at the parking lot, he called prior to his arrival to let him know. Blake wanted to ask a few quick questions while on the phone with him, but Maxwell quickly dismissed them and just notified him to get outside.

 As Blake got inside the car, Maxwell quickly drove away, heading to the location.

-“Since we got some time before the mission starts, what did you want to ask me?”-Maxwell said, looking at the rear view mirror as he drove.

-“First of all, why didn’t you tell me the gang would take half of my money? I didn’t risk my life just to get half of the case!”-Blake responded, annoyed.

Maxwell scoffed. –“Why does it matter? With your rank, you could easily earn that money back. It’s simple gang protocols Blake. Whenever you finish a large heist as an Elite, the gang takes half of your profits to fund itself. Simeone knows that middle to low rank criminals will barely provide the large sum requested, so he intentionally taxes the Elites, us.”

Blake sighed, disappointed from the way his own gang operated. But at the same time, it made sense.

Another question came in mind. –“What’s with the badge you wore at the party anyway? Why was it golden? Mine was just silver.”-He asked, infuriated.

-“You’ll get that golden badge in time Blake.”-Maxwell calmed. –“I got mine because of my years of dedication to the gang, which eventually brought me where I am today. I started off as an accountant for the boss, and then I was sent to an emergency mission where I saved most of my team. From there I became a guide for recruits, that’s when we met. After that, when we didn’t see each other for a few years until now, I was promoted to Elite, they moved me into front line combat.”-He added, cocky.

Maxwell’s history with the gang indeed proved his worth and dedication to it. Even Blake didn’t really know about it until now, they haven’t spoke after he finished his recruitment training. They both went separate ways before meeting again after all these years.

-“Speaking of the boss, he was at the party last night.”

-“Wait what?! Simeone was there?! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

-“That whole thing came to me by surprise.”-He admitted, raising his shoulders. -“Deon notified me about a bunch of guards showing up around the venue, ‘took me a while to realize why they were there. Then I saw him, just on the second floor, watching you from above, he looked pleased, entertained even. This is a good sign, ‘means you really impressed him, and he wants to see more accomplishments from you. He doesn’t arrive to parties like these usually, perhaps, you were a special exception.”

Blake’s eyebrows raised from astonishment, happy to hear that the boss was impressed of him.

 

After a relativly long drive, they arrived to the location. Maxwell barely gave any details about what they were going to do in the mission, just small details on the side that could give him some clues. He mentioned about a criminal with a bounty on his head, who has to be protected from enforcers who were after him.

Bounty hunting was surprisingly encouraged by the city hall, to hunt down notorious criminals and receive a cash reward in exchange. While it seemed unethical in the eyes of the public, some civilians volunteer to help hunt down the crooks and give the money to fund the SPPD’s cause.

They got out of the car, Maxwell headed to the trunk to take out his weapon. Blake expected to see something small, to fit his friend’s slender physique, like a pistol or an SMG. Instead, he got to see a black, silenced sniper rifle protected by a case.

-“Since when _you_ got a sniper rifle?”

-“Since the day I was promoted.”-He cocked.

 

In the distance, not too far from where they were standing, the sought after criminal appeared on the top of a nearby parking building. Despite the distance, Blake saw something very familiar about the man.

He mumbled. –“I know that guy.”-He then pointed at him. –“He was in a van with me when I went to the arson mission.”

Maxwell’s brow raised. –“Okay? It’s not like you have to know him in this mission, all we gotta do is keep him safe for the time being. We do that, we get paid, we fail… We get paid, but _less_.”

On this mission, they were not alone. Other criminals appeared as well, helping out to guard the wanted man.

Each of them went to their own defense point, Maxwell went up to a nearby roof, and Blake took matters into his own hands and decided to do it alone at the ground floor. Everyone else had planned this, even the hunted was aware of the occasion, yet he intentionally used himself as bait to lure unsuspecting enforcers into the scene.

Police sirens were ringing from the distance, a small team of enforcers entered the area, armed and protected by bulletproof vests. Those vests were only bulletproof for a short while however, as the criminals fired at will, and many bullets ended up passing through, killing them.

Blake wanted to play it a little more dangerous, he pulled out his pistol and shot a few enforcers from a short range. It was very risky, especially when his body barely recovered through the mansion heist.

Maxwell shouted at him, warning him to stay down, and focus on the machine gun work instead. Just getting him recovered was hard enough, losing him would be worse.

He followed his orders, taking out his ALIG and standing down. Meanwhile, Maxwell aimed at the further targets, taking them out one by one. Though his aim was steady most of the time, his sight was getting blurry. Whether a sign of getting older, or just a lack of a steady sleep, Maxwell still stayed on his toes.

The hunted criminal kept fending off incoming enforcers with his equipped SMG, they tried to neutralize him, but failed horribly. He was skilled enough to keep himself alive.

More backup from the enforcers arrived, and the odds seemed to be in their favor. Not before the criminal team expanded, replacing the wounded members with healthy ones to fight onwards. Blake kept on fighting indoors with his machine gun, while Maxwell took out targets from above.

 

 They went against each other for what felt like hours. Only after the gunshots ceased, and the smoke cleared, were the teams able to determine the results.

It resulted in a bloodbath, and both sides suffered heavily. Bodies of dead and wounded covered the street, blood splattered across the road.

Blake got outside to see the damage, the image alone was far too familiar. He had seen this dozens of times before, and it got worse each time.

Maxwell peeked from his hiding spot, disappointed to see people from his own rank, die so easily in what was supposed to be, an easy mission with no major casualties.

He heard a beeping noise from the distance, it came from the hunted criminal. He rushed to the parking lot to check on him, hoping the noise indicated that everything was alright.

 

Unfortunately, the beeping noise came from a small chip, now detached from the hunted criminal’s chest.

-“Crap.”-He whispered, sighing.

The chip was an indicator of the bounty’s status, and was also used as a tracking device, which lead the team to him in the first place. It being out of the body wasn’t a good sign. It released a long beep, proving that there was no existing heartbeat.

Blake went upstairs to check up on things, only to realize that they had lost.

-“Come on.”-Maxwell said, loud and clear. –“Let’s get out of here.”

-“What?! Are you kidding me?! We’re just gonna leave this place? Look what happened here, this obviously needs to be reported!”-Blake yelled, pointing at the massacre bellow. He couldn’t even tell who was still alive.

-“They’ll know, the chip will note them. Once the contacts locate the signal and realize there’s no pulse, we’ll get paid less.”

-“That’s what you think about? How much cash we get? What about the guy that we were _supposed_ to protect? He just _died_ and we’re not gonna do _anything_ about it?! And What about those people down there, don’t they need help?”

-“Look.”-He paused. –“You _could_ mope around about this mission all day if you feel like it, but _eventually_ , you’ll have to let it go. You don’t even want to know how many missions I failed in my career, but I didn’t let that stop me from moving on. He’s dead now, there’s nothing more we can do about it.”-He added, walking downstairs to the car.

Blake quickly followed, and his expression was speechless through the ride back. The way Maxwell quickly dissed his own failure off as if it was nothing, as if those people didn’t mean anything to him at all.

 

The drive back was silent, Blake looked at the window, and he barely bothered to glance at Maxwell, until the silence was broken.

-“If you’re thinking about what you’re going to spend your money on first, I’d say you should buy a car. I know someone who can supply you one, here’s his number, keep it close.”-He passed over a matchbook to Blake.

He examined the matchbook, a phone number was written, and what appeared to be a fake business name. –“Who does he work with?”

-“He’s a G-king, thanks to him, I got _this_ beauty.”-He slightly tapped on his car’s dashboard.

-“Why couldn’t you get a car from Joker Armory, or from a Blood Rose? G-kings are our rivals.”

-“Just because they don’t help us fight the same enemy, doesn’t mean they are our rivals. Besides, they provide high quality vehicles, they’re practically experts in that field. Joker Armory has tracking numbers on the stuff they sell, you can never know when the cops show up and start asking for purchase histories.”-Maxwell commented. –“There’s no law in the Blood Roses that prevents trading between the G-kings.”-He added.

The Joker Armory is a store that specifically sells equipment for the ongoing conflict between enforcers and criminals. While it promotes selling guns, ammunition, vehicles and various upgrades to criminals, it also sides with the enforcers. The store is on a constant neutral state, helping both sides equip themselves efficiently, while also making a profit out of it.

-“Just call this number, set up a meeting, and tell him what car you want. Of course I _can’t_ promise it’ll be cheap, you’ll be paying for the fake license plate separately, not to mention the car. But what I _can_ promise, is that you’ll get the car you want, safe from the cops, guaranteed.”

-“Not exactly the right moment for you to advertise about your car dealer…”

-“You’re gonna need a car anyway, I won’t be driving you around anymore. You can’t rely on cabs and random carpools to pick you up all the time, you’ll need your own vehicle eventually. I’d say right now is the best moment, before your schedule gets too busy.”

 

 

Back home, Katy could barely sleep. Her thought of what Blake did in the Parley mansion kept her up at night. Not just the idea alone scared her, but the notion that she was the only one who knew Blake did it. As the rest of the SPPD were looking for clues and signs, she already knew who was the criminal involved, but she couldn’t tell them.

After all he has done, it would’ve been unfair for her to just turn him in like that. If it wasn’t for him, she could’ve died at the car crash incident.

Yet she, as an enforcer, felt like she needed to do what was right, justice that was deserved.

She felt like those thoughts wouldn’t stay in her head forever, and one day, she might accidentally spout them out loud. She imagined Jessie would be a trusted friend who wouldn’t snitch on her for keeping this knowledge a secret. But, she couldn’t think of what Jessie would say once she does find out.

-“This whole thing…Is just a big mess, I don’t know if I can get out of this situation without getting in trouble.”-She said to herself, looking at the ceiling from her bed.

-“Maybe, for my own sake, I should just…Stay away from him for a while, maybe he’ll even forget about me altogether.”-She sighed.

She closed her eyes, in hopes of getting some shut eye after her long night-time musing.

In her dream, she kept seeing images from her childhood, her take on the war boiling up in the city. There were times where it was too dangerous for her to go alone, her father barely leaving his sight from her. Despite the constant war, she still stayed put, deciding to join the SPPD to help fight the cause, to help put an end to this.

Her first meetings with Blake appeared in her dream as well, contradicting her ideas of staying away from the outlaws and keep them behind bars. The guilt made her uneasy, tossing and turning as she sees more of those images. She wanted to do the right thing and put him where he belonged to, but she also felt sympathy, and even a sudden feeling of attraction to the man she’s supposed to hate. Out of these emotions, she felt like wanting to hug him, comfort him, the blurry image of him staring at her.

 

Blake got home, he took a seat on the living room couch, looking at the matchbook. He thought for a while which car model would he even like to buy, but he realized he would most likely have to set up the meeting first, and ask the questions later.

 

He dialed up the number, it took a while for someone to answer.

-“State your name please.”-A sharp voice came through the line, asking directly.

-“Blake Price.”

-“Criminal ID number please.”

–“0148609657”-He said in a confused tone.

-“Good, your number isn’t fake, a Blood Rose too. Now, what can I do for you Blake Price?”

-“I heard you sell vehicles and license plates, I’d like to set up a meeting.”

-“Tomorrow. 10 PM.”

-“ Location?”

-“The abandoned highway, come alone. If you’re coming with a wire, or you some kind of spy, I suggest you don’t show up or it’ll get ugly.”-The G-king said in a threatening voice, then hung up.

 

The whole interaction was quick, which surprised him, as he expected it would take much longer than a minute or two. He then knew what he was supposed to do, prepare his money, and bring it when he comes to the meeting. He hid the bag in his closet, so he wouldn’t be too tempted to take out a few bucks carelessly.

He then went to sleep, to prepare himself for the missions to come tomorrow.

 

The next day, he received word about the mission last night. Thankfully some survived from the group, providing evidence on how the bounty died. According to what he found out, the man was shot in the chest multiple times before bleeding to death.

As for the rest of his time, he spent it on doing smaller missions with other members of the rank, winning and losing as the day went by. He didn’t hear from Maxwell, he was busy doing his _personal_ missions alone.

 

Late at night, he went to the abandoned highway, to meet with the mysterious car dealer. The location gave him some interesting memories, of his encounter with Katy, alongside other missions he experienced there.

He saw the car dealer accompanied by a muscular looking henchman, wearing a suit and a pair of dark sunglasses. The dealer himself was very scrawny looking, wearing G-king themed clothes and face covered with tattoos.

They approached to Blake, the car dealer shook his hand and stepped back, letting his henchman take a closer look. The dealer was impressed by the two bags by Blake’s side, wondering how much money was in there.

He body searched him, to make sure he wasn’t carrying a weapon or a wire. –“He’s clean.”-He whispered to the car dealer.

-“Good.”-He whispered back. –“So, Blake Price, what kind of car are you looking for?”-He looked at him, smirking.

-“I was thinking of a Charge Mikro, with some fancy parts attached to it.”

-“Huh, Charge Mikro. Good vehicle for drive-bys. Fast, compact, fits your gang pretty well I’d say.”-The dealer noted. As he spoke, he looked over to a clipboard, checking if said car was in stock. –“Any decals or particular colors?”

-“Regular black, maybe some small dark blue flames on the sides, nothing too flashy.”

-“Ah huh.”-He wrote down the request. –“I bet you’d also want a forged license plate with that car, gotta keep it on a low profile with the cops.”

Blake nodded, and the man wrote down the request in the clipboard.

-“Now, to make sure you can pay for what you requested, I’m gonna need to see some _proof_.”-He said, rubbing his two fingers together, signaling Blake to show the cash.

Blake opened the bags, containing his loot from the mansion heist.

The dealer looked at the henchman, both nodding, impressed. –“Nice. _Very_ nice, now I know you’re serious.”

-“Now, just the car, plus the risk I’m taking for adding the custom stuff you want, is gonna be 400k. The license plate was originally 10k, but I can see you’re no ordinary Blood Rose, so I’ll give you a small discount on the house.”-He smirked again.

-“How long do I need to wait?”

-“About a week or so, if I get it earlier I’ll give you a call.”

-“Oh, and one other thing.”-The dealer handed over a small contract, which was attached to the clipboard. –“To complete this deal, I’ll need you to sign here.”

-“What am I signing for?”

-“Oh, not much, just that you agree I won’t be responsible if your car gets stolen or vandalized. And, if the cops get you, you don’t know me, I don’t know you. Sounds fair right?”-He smiled, revealing his gold plated teeth.

Blake nodded, and signed the contract.

-“Pleasure doing business with you.”-The dealer said, shaking Blake’s hand and parting ways with him, escorted by his henchman.

 

Now that Blake was going to get a new car, he realized what he had to do. He needed to get rid of the old one, the car he abandoned on the port.

-“Looks like these matches might be useful after all.”-He glanced at them before heading home to rest.

 

On the next morning, Katy woke up to the sound of an incoming call. She groaned, reaching her hand to the phone to see what was so important it couldn’t wait till later.

-“Hello?”-She said, in a tired voice.

-“‘Morning Anderson, how you doing?”-Blake said awkwardly.

-“Blake?”-She said, rubbing her eye. –“It’s,”-She paused for a long yawn. –“7 AM, why are you calling me so early?”

-“I decided I should call you now before I get too busy.”

-“Okay…”-She yawned gently.

-“I want to meet up again.”

 

Those words quickly woke her up, immediately ignoring her tired state. –“Uh…W-Why do you want us to meet?”-She then said nervously, afraid this might be leading to some kind of trap.

-“I…Felt like it’s time we patch up our relationship a little, you know? I really liked being with you last time, so I thought- Hey, why not do it again?”

-“I don’t know if it’s a good idea Blake. This whole meeting thing can lead both of us into trouble, I doubt you’d want to be put in jail any time soon…After that heist you did.”

-“Oh…”-He said, sighing. –“You know about that huh…I hope you didn’t snitch on me… Right?”

-“I haven’t…Nobody knows it was you. I found out thanks to the evidence you left. Your blood samples mixed in with the description given, it was a perfect match…”

-“Anderson, I….”

-“I just, don’t know if it’s even safe for me to talk to you right now.”

-“I promise I won’t hurt you. Let’s just sit at the harbor, I’ll bring a few beers, we could talk about things. Nothing related to our jobs whatsoever.”

Katy didn’t say a word, unsure what to say.

-“Let me just, fix this mess I created. You won’t regret it Anderson. It’ll be fun, both of us could use a break from this war once in a while, don’t you think?”

She gave in. –“Alright, when do you want me to be there? And where exactly at the harbor, it’s pretty big on its own.”

-“At around nine-ten, I’ll probably get there earlier just to make sure nobody’s around. We’ll meet in the same spot I first saw you, next to the piles of shipping containers.”

-“Sounds pretty specific, why that exact place?”

It took a while for Blake to find a reasonable excuse. –“B-Because, I think it’s a special location. Besides, it’s empty at night so we won’t be bothered by anybody.”

While she didn’t want to get in more trouble than she already was, she wanted to at least try and see if he really could work this out. Hopefully with no attachments related to work. –“Alright, but this time I’m bringing my tazer.”-She said jokingly.

-“Go ahead, but I doubt you’ll need it anyway.”-He chuckled. –“I’ll see you then.”-He hung up.

-“Oh crap _what_ did I agree to…”-She groaned.

Her decision impacted the entire work day, never leaving it out of her head.

Jessie was concerned over her friend’s frustrated state, so she tried asking what was going on.

-“You know those moments where you make a decision, and only later you realize how terrible it was?”

-“Tell me about it.”-Jessie waved her hand. –“You don’t want to know how many bad decisions I made, why are you so sad about it anyway?”

-“I’m not sad, I’m just…Worried how will it affect my life.”

-“What was _so_ bad about that decision?”

-“I agreed to meet up with him again, the guy I told you about.”-Katy whispered, in hopes nobody else hears the conversation.

-“You’re kidding right…Please tell me you’re kidding.”-Jessie whispered too, almost willing to scream it out loud.

She groaned. –“Yeah I know, this is a bad idea…”

-“Not necessarily…”-Jessie thought in her mind. –“You _could_ come to his meeting, and carry a wire, so you could finally put him behind bars like you want to!”

-“If I do that, people will start asking questions…Like, why I didn’t do that before, and why I stayed silent about it…”

-“I doubt they’d care as much as you revealing a hidden criminal, you can get promoted for that! They would praise you, that’s for sure. Even more if that guy turns out to be related to the Parley case!”

-“Yeah…”-She laughed awkwardly.

From that moment on, she had a choice. She could visit Blake at the harbor and frame him by carrying a wire, while also risking her career to taken him to justice. Or, instead of the framing attempt, visit him at the harbor and perhaps lead to an agreement that stopping this relationship would be for the best of their interests.  

 

 

About an hour before Katy’s arrival, Blake checked on the location, making sure everything was intact. He expected the car to be gone by now, but it was still there, now covered with graffiti and all of its tires missing.

He approached to it, wiping the dust on his old car. –“You don’t deserve this kind of treatment.”-He said to himself, looking at it for a little longer.

It was obvious the car had to be rid of, he couldn’t risk anyone finding it. This on its own was a miracle that nobody has found it yet. To make sure nothing is left, he decided burning it would be the better option.

He brought a six pack of beer bottles with him, as a cold beverage for the night, a wallet with a few spare bucks for a cab home, and even a piece of protection- if he’ll even use it.

 

When Katy arrived, she noticed him on one of the shipping containers, waving his hand for her to come up. She climbed onto one, noticing his friendly smile out of nowhere.

-“Hi.”-She said, straightforward. –“You weren’t kidding with those drinks huh.”

-“Nope, I wasn’t.”-He chuckled. –“Here, have a seat.”-He invited her to sit with him at the edge of the container.

She was a little nervous, drinking next to a guy like him wasn’t exactly what she imagined would happen that night. She expected for some kind of ambush, or any tricks up his sleeve, but his emotions so far were very much real.

She slowly sipped from the beer bottle, hoping it wasn’t going to kill her at any given moment. Blake seemed to be chugging it down quickly, so it definitely wasn’t a threat anymore.

-“How are things Anderson? Everything’s good?”-Blake said, burping a little.

-“Not really. The whole Parley case has been on my mind ever since you committed that crime. I didn’t snitch on you of course, but I ended up thinking about it a few times.”

-“Oh.”-He said, eyes lowered. –“I guess it makes sense why you thought about it.”

-“It does?”

-“Yeah. I mean, it’s what you do, send guys like me to hell or to the big house to rot. I’m glad you didn’t do that though.”-He smiled, taking another sip.

-“Besides, if I would, both of us would get in trouble, and I don’t want that. I…Don’t think you deserve that kind of treatment.”-She admitted.

-“If I wanted you to die, I would have done it already. But I didn’t, because I realized that you’re not my enemy anymore.”-He smiled again. –“You’re a friend…And maybe, even more than that.”

-“I-I don’t think we should see each other again, it’s better off for us to part ways than to be like this.”

-“Anderson…”

-“It endangers us, but you still want to go through this, I don’t know why… But I feel the same way, I wish I knew why.”-She groaned, sipping more beer down her throat.

He chuckled. –“I know why, it’s because you like me, but you don’t want to admit it.”

-“Oh shut up…”

-“Come on Anderson, I don’t bite. Hell, I think it’s kinda cute, you having a crush on me.”

-“Shut up!”-She said again, aggressively taking another bottle to calm herself down.

-“I never knew you like to drink Anderson.”

-“I usually don’t…But this is probably the last time I will. You won’t see me drinking again.”

-“Don’t get wasted just yet, save this one for later.”-He stopped her from drinking, at least for now.

-“Why did you get me here anyway? Sure this is where we first met, but I didn’t imagine you coming back here.”

-“There’s a reason why I chose this location.”-He admitted.

He reached his hand into his pockets, revealing a small matchbook. –“You see that car over there? That’s my old ride, and tonight…I’m gonna give it a proper burial.”-Once he finished his words, he lit up the match, and threw it on the ground.

As it fell, it ignited a long trail of gasoline, leading to the car itself, covered by it.

Katy froze from shock, seeing how quickly the fire expanded from the trail and devoured the vehicle. It reflected in her eyes, revealing an amazing sight for Blake to behold.

He decided to break the sudden silence. –“I guess we’re even now.”-He joked, chuckling in silence.

They both sat down to look at the beautiful flames, having a friendly toast before chugging another bottle together.

He then scooted over a little closer to her, his hand slowly landing on her cheek, she barely even noticed it, her eyes too focused on the beautiful view.

His hand moved her face closer, leaning to kiss her.

Despite her now drunken state, Katy didn’t mind the gesture, she even kissed him back.

From there, they continued to drink, laugh and share a few more kisses, until their minds faded to black.

 


	33. If The "Price" Is Right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back after a gigantic writer's block that literally lasted for a few good months! 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter, and stay tuned for more to come!
> 
> -Sprinkle <3

Katy opened her eyes, her sight was very blurry, unaware where she was. She looked around, to realize that she was in somebody’s bedroom. That realization alone instantly raised her from bed, her heart pounding with worry.

 

-“W-Where am I?”-She thought, confused.

Her head pounded as soon as she lifted her body from bed, it caused her eyes to squint. She definitely drank more than she needed to, now paying the price for it.

To understand her whereabouts and what even happened last night, she looked at her surroundings. There were clothes scattered on the floor, hers and someone else’s, which gave an unfortunate clue to what she did. She was shamefully naked, quickly gathering her clothes and getting herself dressed.

Once she put on her clothes, she heard small clicking sounds, sounds of a gun being reloaded. That sound worried her, believing she was kidnapped by someone, did what he wanted with her, and now planning to “finish” the job.

To investigate, she slowly tip toed her way outside of the bedroom and into the living room. She noticed someone in the balcony, smoking and checking their phone. She couldn’t recognize the person there, afraid that if she goes too far, they might retaliate.

Suddenly, she felt very nauseous, the alcohol from last night was coming up, so she rushed to the bathroom.

After letting it all out, she washed her face, to clear her mind, and hopefully, to stop the headache. The ice-cold water jolted her back to reality, now fully aware of the poor state of the bathroom.

She walked out to the kitchen, smelling a fresh scent of coffee in her way. Once she followed the smell, she saw a very familiar face brewing two cups of coffee.

-“Blake? What are you doing here?”-She wiped her eyes, to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.

-“What do you think I’m doing here? I live here.”-He chuckled, handing her a cup.

She slowly sipped, still confused. –“Why am I here? Why was I in your bed? What did we even do last night?”

Blake took a hard long look at her, realizing she barely remembers a thing from last night. –“You really don’t remember?”

-“Yep, the only thing I remember is your car burning last night, and we sat down to watch it.”

-“ _Well_ ,”-He chuckled. –“we were drunk, kissed a few times, took a cab to my place, and now we’re here.”

She looked at him with a raised brow, still confused.

-“I think it’s pretty obvious by now.”-He then winked suggestively.

She instantly spit her coffee on the floor. –“ ** _WHAT?!_** ”

-“Yep.”-He chuckled from her reaction. –“You seriously don’t remember?”

-“I don’t! How do _you_ even remember anything?! You were drunk too!”

-“I only remembered the _good_ parts.”-He joked.

-“ _Oh Christ_.”-She sat down, holding her head in her hands.

-“Oh come on it wasn’t _that_ bad… _Was it_?”

-“I feel awful.”-She groaned.

-“Oh come on.”-He reached his arm on her back. –“Don’t be ashamed of it.”

-“I _should_ be ashamed. This was a terrible mistake…”

-“Look, we both wanted it, we did what we did, and we had fun, what’s so bad about that?”

-“You forgot where our positions are? If people find out about what we did, both of us could get into serious trouble. To make sure nobody finds out, this whole thing was a one night stand and nothing more.”

-“If you want this to be a one nighter, I’ll cooperate. But I think it would be a waste to give up on something like that, our connection.”

-“There’s no ‘connection’ Blake, it was just a one nighter… Nothing more.”

-“ If you ask me, I’d want this to be a regular thing instead. I had a _really_ good time last night, and I bet you had one too, you’ll see it once you remember.”

He leaned over to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek. She blushed in response but quickly shrugged off the butterflies in her stomach. –“I like you **_Katy_** , and there’s nothing you can do about it.”-He chuckled.

For the first time, she heard him say her first name. She was so used to him calling her “Anderson” that it came to her by surprise.  

-“I should get going…I have a long day ahead of me.”-She put her mug down and walked to the door, leaving.

He looked at her with mild disappointment, hoped that she would have more mutual feelings about last night.

After Katy left, he prepared himself to head down to HQ to check for any jobs.

 

 

 

On her way to work, she wanted for the day to be over as soon as possible, so she could come home and take a long, cold shower.

She joined up with Jessie to do a few combat missions that were available, to get back into the game again.

As they fought throw waves of hostile criminals, she couldn’t help but imagine Blake there, looking at her with a devilish grin. Instead of just another criminal with a machine gun, she saw Blake instead, her heart pounding out of control. The loud obnoxious machine gun noises, that menacing laugh, the smoke coming out of his cigarette as he fired his weapon at will.

Her attempts to shrug off those emotions kept her from being focused on the battlefield, which resulted in more defeats than victories today.

When they got back to the station, Jessie felt worried about her friend’s mind being on the wrong place again. So at lunch, she decided to talk things out with her.

-“Are you okay? You look a little off today, something wrong?”

 

She wanted to lie, but as soon as she attempted to plan it out, her heart pounded even faster. So instead, she admitted it.

-“Remember that talk we had about making the right choice? I think I made a very bad one last night…”

-“How bad are we talking here?”

-“I…Slept with him...With _Blake_ …”-She whispered.

 

Jessie stared at her, baffled from her confession. –“ ** _How the hell did that happen?!_** ”-She tried her best not to scream her lungs out from that outrageous discovery.

-“When he invited me to that meeting last night, we hung out for a while, and we drank too much. The next thing I saw was me in his bed, **_naked_** …”-She sobbed.

-“So it was a one nighter?”

-“Yeah, but I still feel terrible about it. It contradicts everything I stand for, I feel dirty, I don’t feel like I’m an enforcer anymore.”

Jessie sighed. –“Well, you’re not the only one here who ended up crying over a mistake like that. I can’t even count how many times I slept with people who I didn’t plan to. Before I joined the SPPD, I had good connections on the street and met men of all shapes and sizes, half of the time I thought it was love, only to realize that it meant nothing.”

-“Then there was my time with Rico from that clinic, during my first year of service, we were on _beneficial_ terms for a while. The more we did it, the more we felt genuine attraction to each other. But, we realized that our relationship might be affected by our jobs on the long run, so we stopped. I didn’t want my job to risk his, he didn’t want me to lose mine and be back on the street.” –Jessie added.

-“Do you regret sleeping with him?”

-“I actually regret that I stopped seeing him, he was the best thing that ever happened to me, I never met anyone like him, I regret that I let him go.”- She lowered her head. Her temporary sadness was replaced with a smile as she remembered her first time with him.

Katy realized that her friend knew what it’s like, that she wasn’t alone on this. She felt it was the right time to tell her everything else she knew, now that she can trust her.

-“Remember the car crash, when I got saved by someone before the car exploded?”

-“Yeah, what about it? Do you know who saved you?”

-“I do, Blake did. I let him off the hook once, and as a favor, he risked his life to save me.”

She added.-“He even ran all the way across town just to bring me back my lost ID card.”

-“ ** _No way_**.”-Jessie gasped. –“I imagined it was one of our guys or a civilian trying to be a hero. Well it’s no wonder you’re into him, he obviously cares about you.”

-“At the time, he only did it to return the favor. Now, he genuinely likes me, which is weird, and I don’t know if it should be mutual or not.”

-“Well, the question is, do you like him? And do you want to be with him? If both answers are no, then you should probably let this be a one night’s mistake and leave it be. If you say yes to both, then I think you should go for it. I know you’re able to make the right decision.”

-“Plus, if he ever becomes a jackass you can always frame him and be done with it.”-She joked.

-“About _that_.”-Katy said, a little worried of what her friend’s reaction might be. –“I know who did the Parley heist.”

-“Who? Nobody found any leads yet, there’s no way y-“

-“It was Blake too.”

-“ _Uh-oh_.”-Jessie understood Katy’s concern. –“So I guess you’re _not_ planning to turn him in any time soon. It’s clear the guy’s all over your head lately, but you know he can’t just get away with it again.”

-“I know, but I don’t want him to be hurt, I…I _like_ him too, and it makes me sick just thinking about it.”

It was clear now that there was something going on between Katy and that criminal, and she wasn’t showing signs of letting him go just yet.

-“If we weren’t bound to the law, I’d tell you to run off with him into the sunset and get the love that you deserve. But I don’t think it’ll be easy for you, or for him. If anyone from the station finds out about this, it could get ugly.”-She sighed, looking at her worried friend.

–“It can ruin your reputation as an enforcer and for the station as a whole. So the only advice I can give you is to tread lightly on this, take small steps, and don’t reveal this to anyone but the people you trust.”

 

Katy wasn’t the only one dazed by last night’s actions, as Blake also couldn’t keep her away from his mind.

 

 

During his time at work, he was distracted by her, almost completely. It wasn’t just about what they did, but it was also about what he wanted to give her.

He had to give her something, as proof that he has good intentions and won’t harm her anymore.

-“ ** _She could use a better N-TEC…”-_** He thought, humming silently. He became so lost in thought, that the voices around him became muted.

Maxwell kept talking to him about combat plans, and no matter what, he couldn’t stay focused on his words. He was in his own mind.

 

-“So, what do you think of th-…”-Maxwell looked at him, annoyed. –“You’re not listening, are you?”

-“O-Oh…Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking too hard.”-He chuckled and shrugged it off.

-“If only you’d think this hard about your job.”-He commented. –“Whatever you were thinking there can wait, your job is a top priority.”

Maxwell paused for a second, out of curiosity. –“ What _were_ you thinking about?”

He then leaned to him, it only took a small glance to realize the situation. One very familiar he had seen before.

-“It’s about a woman right?”-He stared, expected to hear an obvious answer.

Blake stunned. –“H-How did you know?”

“I’ve seen that face before, I had friends just like you, their minds drained away over some broad.”

The way Maxwell called her, made him furious, he clenched his fists in response.

-“Don’t look at me like that, you know it’s true. Besides, with your rank you could easily get any kind of woman that fits your flavor, just a call away.”-He pulled out a note from his pocket, a phone number for an escort service.

-“She’s _not_ like that.”-Blake angered.

-“ _Of course_ she isn’t.”-He scoffed. –“But let me tell you a little secret Blake. They will come and go, but only _one_ thing will stay with you for life, your commitment to the Blood Roses.”

-“I’ve never had someone like her in my life, and I don’t want to lose her to a cheap whore.”

-“People like you always say that in the beginning. You’ll grow out of that phase eventually, just like they did. Need I remind you what happened the last time you let your mind slip away for a woman?”

Blake sighed, leaving his thoughts for Katy aside for now. In some way, he had to admit Maxwell was right, so he decided to listen to his plans instead.

 

After their strategic conversation was over, he quickly jumped back to thinking about her again.

He knew she deserved something, a gift to win her over. The N-Tec was just a small trinket compared to what else was brewing, he had an idea of _exactly_ what to get her.

 

 

Just the idea that he’s close to get his own car made him very impatient, he ended up calling multiple times just to make sure it was on its way. Each time the dealer responded with a no, causing Blake to hang up, and call again the next day.

He was also worried, unsure if he could really trust him, he doesn’t even know him or who he might be working for. But, what mattered to him right now was the car, and if he’s going to get exactly what he paid for.

He had never owned a vehicle of his own, the one given to him was just a cheap commodity by his gang. Such car was given to most members of a very low economic background. So he had his reasons to get excited, to finally have full ownership of a car.

 

 

After the weeks of waiting had passed, he finally received a message from the G-king dealer.

 

-“It’s here.”-A single message popped up in his phone, then two others. –“Same time… Same place.”

He quickly got dressed and rushed to the same place he met him, the abandoned highway.

The dealer waited with his guarding henchman at the same spot, this time with a car covered behind them.

Just like last time, the henchman checked Blake for any wires or weapons, to make sure he’s clean this time too.

-“Your order is ready, plate forged and everything. Now I hope you brought your end of the bargain.”-The dealer pulled out his hand for the money involved.

He opened the bag full of money from the heist, giving the dealer as much as he required finishing up the purchase. While handing it out, he decided to use this moment as an opportunity.

-“Since you’re already here, I need to make another purchase.”

-“Already? ‘Thought you didn’t trust me.”-The dealer chuckled.

-“Well the car behind you is enough proof for me. I was thinking about a Vaquero.”

-“I’ll stop you right there. Vaqueros are out of the question. I don’t deal those kinds of cars.”

Blake suddenly stopped handing out the final bills. –“Why not?”

The dealer then grabbed the bills Blake held and stuffed them in his pockets. –“Only cops can get those, the station hands them out to their higher ranked personnel. All Vaqueros in town are tracked and monitored, and an extra one just showing up with no records of it will bring me onto the radar. The same radar I’m trying to avoid in the first place.”

-“Then what other cars can you get me?”

-“Depends what you’re looking for, top seller right now is the Jericho and the Bishada rapier. Very neutral vehicles market wise, not as suspicious as the Vaquero. I could get you those, but they are far more expensive than that Mikro behind the cover.”

Blake thought for a second, a Bishada Rapier was always considered a criminal’s luxury car. Yet a Jericho was more of an enforcer’s choice, and still used by some criminals. The Vaquero was definitely out of the question, so there was only one choice he could make.

-“A Jericho then.”-He answered, giving the dealer the remaining bills from his bag.

-“500k, plates and everything.”-The dealer wrote down the information, before stopping for a minute. –“You know what, since you’re Maxwell’s friend, I’ll give you a small discount. 455k, I’m feeling generous tonight.”

Blake looked at the dealer, confused.-“How do you know about Maxwell and I?”

-“He’s a top costumer of mine, ‘made decent deals with him, he even gave me some fresh costumers. Besides, he called me a few hours before we met to confirm your identity.”

The dealer took out the set of keys from his pocket, and threw them towards Blake, smirking with delight.

 

-“Huh, didn’t know I could trust you at first.”-Blake admitted, looking at the car just a few small steps ahead of him.

-“Pleasure doing business with you, if you need me again, feel free to call.”-The dealer shook his hand to seal the deal, taking his money and leaving with the henchman beside him.

Once they parted ways, Blake walked up to the car, feeling the cover in his hands. He then gently took it off, revealing the stunning vehicle he ordered.

-“Hey there beautiful.”-He smiled, observing it for the first time.

It was exactly what he ordered, a black Charge Mikro with some additional decorations attached to it.

Now all that was left was to try it on the road, and no place was any better than the one he was in.

He got inside, the smell of a new car excited him, and just hearing the engine purr for the first time gave him the spark he needed to drive it to its limits.

The car, while small, was very fast, evasive in sharp turns, perfect for escaping a chase.

He imagined being chased by a team of enforcers, constantly turning and changing speed, dodging the enemies behind him.

 

The car was perfect, just like he ordered, and just like he wanted. This was proof that it was genuine, and the new Jericho will be genuine too.

 

After a few laps around the highway, he decided to call it a night and drive home. It has been a while since he had the ability to drive anywhere without relying on cabs or pickups.

-“Now all there’s left to do, is to get that N-tec.”-He thought. In order to complete his gift, he had to add a little something in addition to the luxurious Jericho.

 

Katy’s day was restless, even after her conversation with Jessie, there was still a bit of guilt in her. The guilt however, didn’t last much long, as her shift ended and she went home to rest, the guilt slowly vanished away.

She forgave herself, eventually succumbing to her mistake, and even considering that it wasn’t a mistake at all. And as soon as she did, her mind filled with memories of last night. She now remembered what they did, and the awareness of their actions caused her heart to explode with emotions.

She kept those memories away on purpose, because of said guilt. But now that she accepted the situation, she is willing to go through with it, letting them run free.


	34. A Simple Getaway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After ages of suffering from writer's block, and lack of motivation, I'm finally back on track with this!  
> God I can't count how many times I had to force myself into coming back, I want to finish this story once and for all.  
> I'm assuming it'll most likely reach the 40-ish chapter limit, but we'll just have to see. 
> 
>  
> 
> -Sprinkle

As Blake kept himself busy with the preparations and purchases, Maxwell became eagerly curious on what his colleague might spend his cash on.

 First, he thought it would most likely be something overly-expensive just for show, or a giant stash of ALIGs so he’d never run out of firepower. But, since he implied to Blake of getting a car using the matchbook ad, he might as well check on what he bought.

He was casually sitting on his couch, placing his legs on the expensive coffee table, covered in a furry white bathrobe with the letter M sown to its right.

He recently took a warm bath after a very gory mission, chunks of body parts and blood got splattered on his favorite outfit. He had to remove all of it from his system and change into something more _clean_.

 

 

He called the dealer who sold the vehicle to Blake.

-“…Well if it isn’t my favorite customer.”-The man spoke with a raspy voice, he sounded tired, yet ready for a client. –“What can I do for you today Maxwell?”

-“Did a man named Blake buy a car from you by any chance?”

The man stuttered a little. –“Y-you mean the guy with the weird hair? Yeah, he was my client not too long ago.”

-“I…Was wondering if you could do me a little favor. Can you tell me what did he buy and how much he spent on it?”

He stuttered again. –“U-uh, sorry man, can’t do. That’s p-private”-He then shuddered, a little afraid.

-“If it wasn’t for me, he would’ve never heard about you.”-He stated, with a sense of threat in his speech. –“I gave you a _free_ , _wealthy_ costumer and this is how you treat me?”

-“S-sorry Maxwell, I’ll tell you right away!”-He rushed to find the proper documents, sounds of scattering paper and nervous yelling was heard through the phone.

Maxwell pressed his hand to his nose, sighing quietly.

After a few other sounds of breaking glass and more paper being thrown, he came back with the right material.

-“Here we go.”-He coughed. –“Blake bought a custom black Charge Mikro with a few attachments, ‘cost him around 400k in total.”

Maxwell bit his lip, he didn’t like the sound of that. –“ ** _Why_** does he have to be this reckless with his money…No wonder he was broke for the last few years. Well, thanks for letting me know, I-“

-“Sorry to interrupt, but it’s not all.”

Maxwell raised his brow, surprised. “Huh? What do you mean _not all_?”

The dealer sipped in some air, afraid of Maxwell’s sudden surprise. –“He also bought a Jericho, custom and everything. 455k And I was being generous there, original price was _much_ higher.”

Before Maxwell could respond, he slipped in a question. –“Uhh, how much did the guy steal from the Parley’s again?”

-“Enough to afford the cars… Not enough to afford anything else.” He muttered.

But something wasn’t right, Blake already spent his expenses on two cars. First of all why would he buy two of them, second, how will he even afford gas for two cars? Maxwell conjured up in his mind, an idea of what he possibly could be doing with this purchase.

-“Maybe your guy is trying to be more strategic. Jerichos are faster in high speed chases, Mikros are good against sharp turning and corners.”

Maxwell laughed at the idea of Blake being ever tactical or strategic in combat. In his eyes, Blake’s actions were always so…Spontaneous. Never planned ahead, he just instantly throws himself into battle without any second thought.

To him it was a very terrible concept of battle.

-“ _Clearly_ you don’t know him enough. He’s not that smart to figure something like that out. If he uses his brain for once, he’d be in a whole different place, a much higher rank too. Not to mention get a _better bargain_ from a much cheaper source…”-He highly implied at the dealer on-call.

-“B-But you bought your car from me…Remember?”

-“At least I bought it while knowing I got enough money to pay and handle it. Besides, you’d never see me own more than one car. If it explodes, I’ll replace it with a new one, I don’t have space in my garage for two vehicles either way.”

The dealer sighed. –“Well, I gave you what you needed, I gotta go now, ‘have some _clients_ waiting for me.”

Maxwell chuckled. –“ ** _Yeah right._** _One_ more thing though, before you go. I’m gonna need plate numbers.”

The dealer quickly gave him both of the numbers for the vehicles, and Maxwell typed them on his phone, to keep for later. He disconnected the call.  

There was a sense of fear going on whenever the dealer had to engage a conversation with a man like Maxwell.

He had his reasons to be afraid, Maxwell had many connections throughout San Paro and beyond, and with all those contacts and information, he was clearly not a one to be messed with. With a flick of a wrist, people he didn’t approve of would just simply vanish, the thought of it would run a chill through the dealer’s cowardly spine

 

 

-“ _Why_ did he buy two cars then…”-He said to himself, his hand under his chin. –“I _have_ to investigate this further…”-Adding, looking up Deon’s number on the phone.

 

-“I need you to do something for me, follow Blake around town. Watch where he’s going, and watch for the two vehicles in his possession.”

 

-“Follow these plates.”-He sent the number combinations. –“Update me on everything you find.”

-“Roger, boss.”

 

 

 

Blake just finished his final preparations, he wanted to make this evening the best for Katy. With the new car, and the now purchased N-tec, all he had to do was make a call and invite her.

 

He dialed up her number, slightly shaking in excitement, he tried his best to hold his giggle as the beep started.

 

-“Blake?”-Katy answered, a little surprised he called her.

She assumed he’d back off after happened between them, given how she gave him the cold shoulder. But, it seemed he wasn’t ready to give up on her just yet. She felt like she missed the opportunity, to apologize for her cold behavior. A long day of work couldn’t keep her mind from thinking about him.

-“’Been a while hasn’t it?”-He awkwardly said over the phone. –“Umm…”-He tried holding his excitement, snorting a little bit. Katy, confused as ever, thinking this would just lead to a crank call. –“I was thinking… How about you join me in the abandoned highway tonight?”

She held her breath for a few small seconds, unsure of how to respond. Hell, she didn’t know what could this lead to, another night of possible regrets? Or, finally confess up to him about her feelings towards him.

Deep down, she knew keeping them away wouldn’t do her any good.

-“S-sure.”-She replied with a slight shudder, feeling like she should’ve said no. –“Is this like another date or…?”

-“You can call it like that.”-He giggled, then stopped to explain further. –“Remember the time I took you to that food joint back at the district? Well think of this as a date, with some extra activities.”-He smirked, chuckling.

Katy sighed, knowing he’ll probably never stop it with his inappropriate ways. –“I hope those activities will not involve us getting drunk again.”

-“The only drunk you’ll get is by having a good time. No booze, I promise.”-He assured.

-“I hope I can trust you, I have so far…”

-“Don’t worry Katy…It won’t harm you in any way, in fact, I think you need this more than ever. You must’ve been working like hell while I was gone.”

-“Speaking of, where were you all this time?”

-“The usual, I was busy. You know how criminals are.”-He said in a smug tone.

 

She took that as a temporary excuse, hoping he’d make up for it with the date he’s got planned.

-“So, when is this date?”

-“Tonight at 11, but you’ll need to call me as soon as you get there. Don’t want you entering through the wrong area.”

 

That made her suspicious a little. –“How come?”

-“It’ll ruin the surprise.”-He quickly responded, a little nervous. –“ besides, it’s better than having you look for me. The place is pretty big, I bet you remember.”

-“Sure is.”-She admitted. –“Very well, I’ll be there.”

Blake giggled with enthusiasm, hanging up, leaving a relatively confused Katy on the line.

 

 

 

As ordered, Deon followed Blake’s tracks around town. His van didn’t stand out too much, and Blake didn’t seem to recognize it, so it was as if he wasn’t there.

Every time something new popped up, he called Maxwell and shared the details. So far, he followed him up until the highway, leaving his van on the entrance of the abandoned highway. He parked his van, readying his surveillance equipment, kindly provided by his boss. As soon as any activity would be heard, he’d record it.

Deon pulled a pair of binoculars, seeing how Blake parked one car in the highway and rushed back home to get the other one.

-“He’s definitely not smart, leaving a car exposed like that. A new one too…”-He quietly whispered, still observing him.

It was getting late quickly, he had sat there for what seemed to be full hours on end. He didn’t think Blake would literally stay that long, he couldn’t wait for some kind of excitement.

As far as he could tell, it did lead up to something interesting.

 

"Blake took both cars to the abandoned highway, looks like he’s waiting for someone. He’s been here for a few hours.”-He delivered the information he got so far for Maxwell, and he listened carefully. He wrote down everything Deon said this far, whether on a notebook or on his phone, he needed to know _more_.

 

While waiting for some action, Deon sipped from a large cup of soda. He recently went and got himself a snack, knowing he’d be here for a while. Sure he left and didn’t tell Maxwell about it, but he doubted he’d care about his eating, as long as all the info was provided.

He chewed on a meaty burger, scraping off bits of meat off his tank top, calmly eating while waiting for something to happen.

 

 

 

 

Hours later, Katy showed up. Dropping off from a cab and walking towards the entrance.

Just seeing the old rusty fence covering the area, the unfinished roads, and the cold of the night shivering down her spine, reminded her of past missions.

Many enforcers died here, alongside criminals, and even some innocent civilians who just walked by at the wrong time. It was as if she could hear the loud gunfire, mixed with ambulance sirens, people screaming for mercy. During her first time on the job, those noises would haunt her dreams.

This place was a living reminder of how this whole enforcer versus criminal situation can lead to a gruesome scene, with both sides suffering heavy casualties.

 

However, it wasn’t all bad, she had also met Blake here before, which she didn’t expect would turn out to be something a little more positive for a change.

 

He saw her from the distance, and he was baffled.

 

She was absolutely gorgeous.

 

He always liked seeing her with more civilian clothing rather than in menacing uniform, it highlighted her features quite well in his opinion. She wore a thin black leather jacket with a pair of blue jeans, and a cute white top. Her heeled boots made her legs seem much longer than they were, giving him the illusion that she was much taller.

He didn’t have much to wear, so he wore his usual outfit with a small hint of cologne, it made his clothes look a little out of place.

Seeing that she was pretty close to the location, he decided to escort her instead of calling. Calling her name multiple times until she turned her head to him.

 

He wasn’t sure if it was the dim lighting or the night sky, but whatever it was, Katy’s eyes appeared to be glowing in the dark. Though not literally, they were sparkling and brighter than what he had usually seen.  Maybe it was the increasing heartbeat, or the intensifying blush on his face, that caused him to see her that way.

His concentration was on her eyes and body rather than where he was going, and he ended up tripping multiple times on small potholes before finally reaching her.

The rather goofy behavior of this dangerous criminal so to speak, made Katy giggle with his every silly step. He was a bit embarrassed, but quickly ignored his walking so he could focus more on her.

-“Huh, thought you might’ve showed up with your team of cops, ready to take me to the big house.”-He joked.

-“More like undercover, I’m wearing a wire so I can replay this conversation back at the station.”-She joked back.

 

Deon overheard their little talk, writing down what he heard. He realized calling Maxwell for every small update would be a little redundant, so instead he wrote down the smaller ones to pile them up into a bigger one.

 

 

-“ _So_ , what are we doing here and _what’s_ wrong with your face?”-She giggled, looking as Blake’s now tomato red cheeks.

He lifted an arm above his head, shyly laughing back. To get to the point, he shrugged off the awkwardness within him. –“I thought, why not do something with a little more action involved for once? It’s what our jobs are all about anyway, but this one will _not_ include any blood or death. Come on, it’s this way.”

 

He took his hand in hers guided her up through the highway, she was pretty confused, unsure of what he meant. She also felt his grip a little sweatier, with Blake growing a little anxious the more steps he takes.

 

_“Don’t fuck this up, don’t fuck this up, don’t fuck this up…”_

They reached to the top, the first thing that caught in Katy’s eye was the makeshift stands beside them. Based on design, it appeared to be a type of a shooting range. A very last-minute-constructed shooting range.

 

-“You didn’t say anything about bringing my gun with me right? ‘Pretty sure you didn’t.”-She awkwardly noted, thinking she might’ve not noticed.

 

-“Oh you don’t need to bring your own…”-He said, smirking a little, and revealing the brand new N-tec on the front of the stand, alongside his signature ALIG.

-“So you bought another gun and you want to show it off?”

-“ ** _Maybe_** …”-He blushed.

She chuckled, standing beside the gun, holding it to feel its grip around her. –“’Never knew you liked N-tecs.”

_“I don’t.”_

-“The idea was switching our guns though.”-He chuckled, removing Katy’s tight grip on the N-tec, replacing it with the heavier, bulkier ALIG.

-“You know, you can tell a lot about a person based on the gun they use.”-He tried his best at a pickup line. –“Take me for example, I’m very buff, heavy, aggressive, sturdy…”-He continued, his voice lowering a little to exaggerate, he stretched his arm, showing off his “big guns”.

She giggled at his obvious attempt. –“Let’s get shooting before you make a mess out of yourself, I _can_ handle an ALIG Blake, no need to worry.”

He got nervous again, laughing awkwardly. –“ _W-Whatever you say Katy_.”

 

They both started firing at the cans in the distance. Katy positioned her grip at the heavy ALIG, it kept bouncing off-target, and keeping it steady was the tricky part.

It wasn’t any good to Blake either, he wasn’t used to such a light gun, the lightest he ever used was a pistol. But he wasn’t completely inexperienced with it, so he managed to stabilize it quicker.

 

 

The gun noises from afar stunned Deon, dropping his burger on his lap by accident. He cursed, driving towards the noise’s location. Once parked again, he pulled out a recording device and turning it on. It had a small dish that could detect and record sound from a distance, giving proper cover for him without having to leave the van. As the device was on stand-by, recording audio, Deon also took out a small camera, trying to capture photos of the scene ahead.  

 

 

Blake glanced at Katy’s grip, stopping his fire to let out a loud snort. -“Looks like somebody can’t handle the weight.”-He said in a smug tone. –“Here, let me help you.”

He put down the N-tec and walked up to her from behind, carefully positioning her grip to match his. She felt his body come closer to hers, trying her hardest not to blush at that rather _interesting_ position. Blake quickly came to notice her slightly red cheeks, chuckling softly.

 His head moved closer to her ear, whispering.–“Just hold the barrel steady, nice and easy…”-His fingers moved to match her own, softly touching them. -“And then… _Fire_.”-He pulled the trigger with her.

The continuous and rapid fire at the now fully punctured cans, and the way both of them moved with the pull of the ALIG, was quite the excitement Katy needed for once. She couldn’t remember the last time she had time to head out to a shootout and just let all the stress loose on the target dummies. Not to mention, she couldn’t deny how warm he felt around her, his strong body behind hers, holding her steady with him.

Blake felt a little aroused, having Katy this close to him was clearly taking an effect, but he knew this was just the beginning. Despite the growing urge to take her with him, this date wasn’t over just yet.

 

-“Now that’s how you fire an ALIG, write it down for your cop buddies as a memo.”-He joked, untangling himself from his now very strong grip. –“I think it’s enough for you tonight.”-He teased, switching between the guns.

She was very caught in the moment, it took longer for her to realize that he’s no longer holding her, the heat fading slightly. -“I-I’ll be sure to write that…”-She stuttered.

-“Now, you and I are gonna run over there.”-He pointed, the ‘finish’ line a few meters away. -“’Last one to reach has to buy a drink for the winner.”-He then smirked, readying himself to run as quickly as possible

Katy was still a little distracted, distracted by her thoughts, she wasn’t fully aware of Blake’s words.

-“321 GO!”-He made a very quick countdown, running like hell while laughing at Katy’s temporary distraction.

-“H-HEY, THAT’S NOT FAIR!”-She yelled, rushing to catch up to him.

While he was definitely agile, the weight of the heavy gun slowed him down a little, giving Katy a small window of opportunity to take the lead.

-“If it wasn’t for the gun you’d be eating my dust!”-He panted heavily, trying pick up the pace.

-“Well now you’ll be one eating _my_ dust.”-She cocked.  

 

The sass in her tongue, he _liked_ it, a _lot_. It wasn’t enough his heart was beating fast from the running, it was beating even faster with Katy’s possible flirting with him.

The pair reached the finish line, with Katy beating him by a long shot. –“I’ll order something expensive, I bet you’ll be able to pay for it.”-She taunted.

-“Heh…Trust me, with what you’ll see next, you’d want to lose the drink.”-He smirked, revealing two vehicles beside him.

-“So you bought two cars and you want to show off how rich you are?”-She taunted again.

-“I spent almost the entire heist money on these, best way to spend it.”

-“Why do you need two cars though? And completely different ones too? Are you trying to be tactical or something?”

He shrugged, but then quickly answered. –“If you wanna know, you’ll have to beat me first.”- He dragged his index finger around in a circular motion, showing her the track. One lap, across the highway.”

-“We’re doing a race now too?”-She asked, surprised how in depth the date is getting.

He nodded, sticking out a hand into his pocket and tossing the keys to the Jericho. –“Enjoy yourself, _don’t scratch it though_.”-He joked.

 

They positioned their vehicles, ready to begin the race. Blake felt confident, just getting behind the wheel temporarily made him forget of the worry he had prior. He nudged his tongue with the tip of his tooth, ready to get this started.

He opened the car window, yelling the countdown as loud as he could.

Just hearing the word go spout of Blake’s mouth triggered her to sink her foot into the gas pedal instinctively, smoking the racer behind her.

Blake wasn’t about to let her win that easily, he drove as fast as he could, trying to reach her evenly. But, the Jericho was just too fast for a Mikro to catch up to, so he had to elaborate, fast.

He saw a splitting road ahead, it was half built with a large metal ramp on its edge. This was a chance he wasn’t going go to waste.

The vehicle rushed above the ramp with great speed, giving it a jumping boost. Appearing to be flying, it dropped beside the competing racer and moving around to confuse Katy.

If there’s anything a Mikro is capable of doing well is surviving long jumps and provide swift evasive maneuvers.

While a technically cheating move on his side, Katy shrugged it off, guessing he’d do something similar. –“Typical.”-She muttered, getting ahead of him as she pushed the gas pedal again.

 

The race eventually concluded with a tie.

 

She got out of the car, inspecting the results. -“You know I could _swear_ I got to the finish line a few inches closer than you.”

-“Only by a few small inches, not by much…”-He taunted.

-“Since I beat your criminal ass, do I finally get to know what you’ve been up to with all of this?”

With a seductive smirk on his face, he got closer to her. His glaring purple meet with her glowing cyan. He licked his lips in anticipation, eager to tell her. She looked up, her shorter figure compared to his muscular taller one. It was like staring at a giant. She felt a chill down her spine when noticing his tongue licking his lips like a hungry dog waiting for a meal.

He leaned in to whisper in her ear softly. -“I didn’t buy the N-tec or the Jericho for _myself_ …I bought it for _you_.”- He moved his mouth away, his hand brushed the side of her cheek, her face shivered against his gentle touch. –“I wanted to buy you something for a while, and only now I had the chance to give you what you _deserve_.”

-“W-What…”-She stuttered, walking up to the Jericho and looked at her reflection at the black window, with Blake looking at hers. –“I don’t get it…Why did you do this? Spend all this money, risk everything you’ve ever had, even your own life!”

He leaned in, giving her a kiss. –“You’re addicting **_Katy_** …”-He paused, then another. –“… Like a drug…”- And another. –“… And I’m gonna be honest with you, _I’m addicted_ …”

He pulled away, wanting to tell her more. -“I don’t have much long to live, best case I’ll make it ‘till my thirties, you know how it is out there… I want to spend those last years with you. I don’t care about this goddamn war anymore, as long as I’ll have you, it would do.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. She never expected a man like Blake to just show his emotions so deeply like that, such desperation to be with her. She whispered his name, still in awe. –“I don’t know what to say…”

-“I do…”-He replied, ready to tell her. –“ ** _Katy… I fucking love you._** _”-_ He confessed, laid his head on her shoulders, arms reaching to her back for a tight hug. He moved it around, feeling her warmth against him.

She hugged him back, the warmth increasing between the two. This date, this confession, this soft embrace, was the least she expected tonight. Hell, she didn’t believe Blake could ever pull anything this, well, romantic.

-“ ** _I love you too, Blake_.”-** She smiled, her eyes almost watering from happiness, kissing him back.

After their romantic embrace, they separated the grip from one another, not leaving their locked gaze.

-“What do you say we get out of here…And this time, it’ll be a night we _won’t_ forget.”-He flirted, caressing her hair with his fingers.

She blushed and bit her lip, eager. –“Take the lead, _Price_.”

He chuckled, giving her another kiss before starting the engine on his car.  

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ofc Idk if anyone really follows my story after this shit hiatus, but if you are, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


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